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Question

Difficulty: HardSynonyms and Words Nearest in Meaning

The investigative committee concluded that the director's dilatory response to the financial audit served only to heighten suspicions of wrongdoing. Which word is nearest in meaning to the underlined word?

  1. tardyAnswer
  2. B
    prompt
  3. C
    deceitful
  4. D
    deliberate

Answer

The word nearest in meaning to 'dilatory' is 'tardy'.
In formal administrative and literary contexts, 'dilatory' describes actions, responses, or measures that cause or reflect delay or slowness. 'Tardy' similarly means late or slow in acting, making it the word nearest in meaning.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the underlined word in its sentence context
The target word 'dilatory' modifies 'response' in a situation where a director took an excessively long time to respond to a financial audit.
Contextual analysis helps determine whether the word denotes speed, intent, tone, or manner.
2
Define the precise lexical meaning of 'dilatory'
'Dilatory' is an adjective derived from Latin meaning slow to act, tending or intended to cause delay, or procrastinating.
Establishing the core definition narrows down the accurate synonym.
3
Evaluate the options against the target definition
'Tardy' means delaying or late, which precisely matches 'dilatory'. 'Prompt' is its antonym, 'deceitful' is an unwarranted extrapolation from the context, and 'deliberate' is a confusable word with a different meaning.
Differentiating between exact synonyms, antonyms, and contextual distractors ensures the selection of the correct option.

Key Concept

Contextual Synonyms and Vocabulary Range
Estimated Time:1m 15s
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Topics

Synonyms and Words Nearest in Meaning

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