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Difficulty: MediumPrefix and Suffix Analysis

The engineering crew devised a plan to *circumvent* the blocked intake valve.

In this sentence, the word *circumvent* most nearly means which of the following?

  1. A
    surround
  2. bypassAnswer
  3. C
    confront
  4. D
    circulate

Answer

bypass
The word 'circumvent' is composed of the prefix 'circum-' ('around') and the root 'vent' ('to go' or 'to come'). In the given context, finding a way around a blocked valve means to 'bypass' it.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Break down the morphological components of the target word.
The target word contains the Latin prefix 'circum-' (meaning 'around') and the base/root 'vent' (from 'venire', meaning 'to go' or 'to come').
Analyzing affixes and roots provides the foundational definition of unfamiliar or complex vocabulary.
2
Combine the morphological components to deduce the overall meaning in context.
To 'circumvent' literally means to go around or avoid a blockage.
Connecting the prefix meaning with the root meaning yields an accurate definition for the sentence context.
3
Evaluate the choices to find the closest synonym.
'Bypass' directly corresponds to the act of going around or skirting an obstacle.
Comparing deduced meaning against the available choices isolates the synonymous term.

Key Concept

Prefix and root morphological analysis for synonym identification
Estimated Time:45s
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Topics

Prefix and Suffix Analysis

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