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Difficulty: Very hardCommon Prefixes

Despite hours of mediation, the committee members maintained an intransigent posture regarding the bylaws. What does the word intransigent most nearly mean?

  1. Unwilling to compromise or change viewsAnswer
  2. B
    Highly cooperative and flexible
  3. C
    Moving inward across established boundaries
  4. D
    Temporarily assigned to a new position

Answer

Unwilling to compromise or change views
The word is formed by the negative prefix 'in-' (meaning 'not') and the root 'transigent' (meaning 'compromising'). Therefore, the word describes an entity that is inflexible and refuses to yield, which perfectly fits the context of stalled mediation.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the prefix and the root of the target word.
The word 'intransigent' consists of the prefix 'in-' attached to the base 'transigent'.
Breaking a complex vocabulary word into its morphological components helps reveal its core meaning.
2
Determine the meaning of the prefix.
The prefix 'in-' functions as a negative modifier, meaning 'not' or 'without'.
Recognizing common prefixes is essential for decoding words structurally.
3
Synthesize the components with the sentence context.
Combining 'not' with 'transigent' (compromising) produces 'not compromising', which aligns logically with maintaining a rigid posture during a mediation.
Confirming the structural meaning against the context ensures the correct definition is selected and avoids antonym traps.

Key Concept

Negative Prefixes
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Topics

Common Prefixes

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