Question

Difficulty: MediumSynonyms and Words Nearest in Meaning

Provide the word nearest in meaning to 'cursory' that appropriately fills the blank in the sentence below.

Answer:The auditor performed a 【perfunctory】 inspection of the company's financial statements, missing several obvious discrepancies because of his haste.

Answer

perfunctory (or superficial)
The word 'perfunctory' (or 'superficial') is nearest in meaning to 'cursory', as both describe an action done routinely, hastily, and with minimal thoroughness, directly aligning with the context of missing discrepancies due to haste.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the sentence context for clues regarding the intended meaning.
The phrase 'missing several obvious discrepancies because of his haste' indicates that the inspection was done quickly, routinely, and without thorough attention to detail.
Contextual indicators guide the selection of the correct synonym.
2
Determine the term nearest in meaning to 'cursory'.
The adjective 'perfunctory' means carried out with minimal effort or care, serving as a direct synonym for 'cursory' in this formal administrative context.
Matching the dictionary definition with contextual intent establishes the exact synonym.

Key Concept

Synonyms and Words Nearest in Meaning
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