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Question

Difficulty: EasyVocabulary and Word Meaning in Context

Read the passage excerpt below carefully.

"Although the committee was open to new suggestions, the chairperson refused to entertain any proposal that exceeded the approved budget."

In the context of the sentence above, what is the meaning of the word entertain?

  1. A
    amuse or provide enjoyment for
  2. consider or give thought toAnswer
  3. C
    approve or officially pass
  4. D
    reject or dismiss summarily

Answer

The word 'entertain' in this context means to consider or give thought to.
In formal English discourse, when someone refuses to 'entertain' an idea or proposal, it means they will not consider or give thought to it. Substituting 'consider or give thought to' maintains the exact logical sense of the sentence.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the sentence context surrounding the highlighted word
The sentence indicates that proposals exceeding the budget will not be given consideration or brought up for discussion.
Contextual meaning depends on how the target word functions within the specific sentence structure.
2
Substitute plausible definitions into the sentence structure
Replacing 'entertain' with 'consider or give thought to' preserves the logical and grammatical meaning of the sentence.
Syntactic and semantic substitution confirms whether a definition fits the intended contextual nuance.

Key Concept

Contextual Word Meaning
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Topics

Vocabulary and Word Meaning in Context

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