Question

Difficulty: EasySynonyms and Words Nearest in Meaning

After years of dedicated service, the community praised the philanthropist for her benevolent contributions to the local hospital. Which word is nearest in meaning to the underlined word as used in the sentence?

  1. A
    hostile
  2. generousAnswer
  3. C
    malevolent
  4. D
    wealthy

Answer

The word nearest in meaning to 'benevolent' as used in the sentence is 'generous'.
The word 'benevolent' means characterized by or expressing goodwill and kindly feelings. In the context of donating to a hospital, 'generous' is the exact word nearest in meaning.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the target word in its sentence context
The word 'benevolent' describes the nature of contributions made to a hospital by a praised philanthropist.
Contextual clues like 'praised' and 'contributions' indicate a positive, charitable quality.
2
Evaluate the option choices against the contextual meaning
'Generous' directly matches the meaning of showing kindness and goodwill through charitable giving.
'Benevolent' is derived from Latin roots meaning 'well-wishing' or doing good.

Key Concept

Contextual Synonyms
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