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Question

Difficulty: HardWords Commonly Confused and Homonyms

Read the sentence below:

"Although the tribunal panel acknowledged that the registrar's procedural delay was a ________ infraction stemming from oversight rather than corrupt intent, they nonetheless felt obliged to ________ the official to uphold public accountability."

Which of the following word pairs correctly completes the sentence?

  1. venial / censureAnswer
  2. B
    venal / censure
  3. C
    venial / censor
  4. D
    venal / censor

Answer

The word pair 'venial / censure' correctly completes the sentence.
The word 'venial' denotes a minor, excusable, or pardonable fault, which aligns with an error caused by simple oversight. The verb 'censure' means to express severe official disapproval or issue a formal reprimand, fitting the action taken by the tribunal.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the context of the first blank.
The sentence indicates that the infraction arose from 'oversight rather than corrupt intent,' requiring an adjective that signifies minor, excusable, or pardonable.
Differentiate between 'venial' (pardonable/excusable) and 'venal' (corrupt/bribable).
2
Analyze the context of the second blank.
The panel felt obliged to issue a formal disciplinary reprimand to the official.
Differentiate between 'censure' (to reprimand officially) and 'censor' (to inspect and remove objectionable material from publications).
3
Combine the contextual choices.
Selecting 'venial' for the first blank and 'censure' for the second blank yields 'venial / censure'.
Satisfies both semantic requirements within formal legal and administrative register.

Key Concept

Distinguishing between phonetically and orthographically similar paronyms (venial vs. venal, censure vs. censor) based on context.
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Topics

Words Commonly Confused and Homonyms

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