In the following question, out of the four alternatives, choose the word which…
2017
In the following question, out of the four alternatives, choose the word which is opposite in meaning to the given word.
INNOCENT
- A.
Naive
- B.
Unfamiliar
- C.
Childlike
- D.
Guilty
Attempted by 4 students.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: D
Concept
An antonym is a word that carries the opposite meaning of a given word. The task here is to find the word whose meaning is directly contrary to INNOCENT. INNOCENT describes a person who is free from guilt, blame, or wrongdoing — someone who has not committed an offence.
Application
The exact opposite of being free from blame is being responsible for an offence or wrongdoing. The word that names this is “Guilty”, which means having committed a crime or being at fault. Therefore Guilty is the antonym of INNOCENT.
Contrast with the other choices
“Naive” means lacking experience or worldly wisdom — this is close in sense to innocent, not opposite to it.
“Unfamiliar” means not known or not recognised; it is unrelated to the idea of guilt or blamelessness, so it is not an antonym.
“Childlike” means having the trusting, simple qualities of a child — again similar in tone to innocent rather than its opposite.