Part 5: One-Word Substitutions

A dedicated bank of one-word substitutions — a very frequent SSC/Bank question type — now expanded to 150 entries across ten thematic groups. Study the phrase, then actively recall the word before checking it; do not read passively.

People and Professions

1. A person who studies and treats diseases of the mind — Psychiatrist
2. A person who can use both hands with equal skill — Ambidextrous
3. One who has no fixed home and moves from place to place — Nomad
4. A person appointed to settle a dispute between two parties — Arbitrator
5. One who is skilled in many kinds of work — Versatile
6. A person who eats human flesh — Cannibal
7. One who believes that war and violence are unjustifiable — Pacifist
8. A person who deserts their principles or party — Renegade
9. One who works for free without payment — Volunteer
10. A person who is new to a field or activity — Novice
11. One who loves and collects books — Bibliophile
12. A person who speaks on behalf of another — Spokesperson
13. One who is unable to pay their debts — Insolvent
14. A person appointed to look after a minor's interests — Guardian
15. One who leaves their own country to settle in another — Emigrant
16. A person who is easily deceived — Gullible
17. One who examines financial accounts officially — Auditor
18. A person who inherits property or a title — Heir
19. One who does not believe in the existence of God — Atheist
20. A person who studies the origin and history of words — Etymologist
21. A person who can speak many languages — Polyglot
22. One who has an intense dislike of mankind — Misanthrope
23. A person who is newly appointed or admitted to a group — Neophyte
24. One who works alongside another with equal standing — Colleague
25. A person who abandons a ship, aircraft, or cause in a crisis — Deserter

Places and Habitations

1. A place where weapons and ammunition are stored — Arsenal
2. A place where orphans are housed and cared for — Orphanage
3. A shelter for destitute or homeless people — Almshouse
4. A place where coins are officially manufactured — Mint
5. A burial ground, especially one attached to a church — Cemetery
6. A place where bees are kept — Apiary
7. A place surrounded by land on all sides — Landlocked
8. A place where animals are kept for public viewing — Zoo
9. A dwelling place for monks living in seclusion — Monastery
10. A place where dead bodies are kept before burial or examination — Morgue
11. A place where a large number of books are kept for public use — Library
12. A building where grain is stored — Granary
13. A place where aircraft are kept and repaired — Hangar

Actions and Behaviour

1. To give up a throne or high position voluntarily — Abdicate
2. To speak ill of someone in their absence — Malign
3. To free someone from blame or guilt — Exonerate
4. To do away with a law or agreement formally — Abrogate
5. To walk with a slow, casual gait — Saunter
6. To send someone away from their homeland as punishment — Exile
7. To surrender or give up one's rights voluntarily — Relinquish
8. To seize property and hold it until a debt is paid — Impound
9. To look at something with envy or malice — Ogle
10. To wander away from the main topic while speaking — Digress
11. To officially declare something invalid or void — Annul
12. To praise excessively and often insincerely — Eulogise
13. To give up a claim or right formally — Waive
14. To copy the behaviour or work of another — Emulate
15. To make secret plans with someone, often for a wrong purpose — Conspire
16. To give up completely and finally — Renounce
17. To make up for a wrong or injury done — Atone
18. To free a country from foreign or oppressive rule — Liberate

Qualities and Characteristics

1. Something that cannot be corrected or repaired — Irreparable
2. Incapable of making a mistake — Infallible
3. Something that cannot be avoided — Inevitable
4. Beyond all doubt; not open to question — Indisputable
5. Something existing from the very beginning — Innate
6. Impossible to understand — Incomprehensible
7. Something that cannot be seen — Invisible
8. Lasting for a very short time — Transient
9. Not capable of being satisfied — Insatiable
10. Existing everywhere at the same time — Ubiquitous
11. Capable of being easily broken — Fragile
12. Difficult to please or satisfy — Fastidious
13. Something that is likely to change frequently — Volatile
14. Free from all faults; perfect — Impeccable
15. Impossible to defeat or overcome — Invincible
16. Not able to be seen through — Opaque
17. Existing in name only, not in reality — Nominal

Legal and Administrative Terms

1. A written statement made under oath — Affidavit
2. The act of formally accusing a public official of misconduct — Impeachment
3. A sum of money paid regularly to a retired employee — Pension
4. A formal order requiring a person to appear in court — Summons
5. The transfer of authority from one government to another — Devolution
6. A law that applies to a future act, not a past one — Prospective
7. A person legally appointed to manage another's estate — Trustee
8. The lawful right to hold a public office — Tenure
9. A document by which a person states how their property is to be distributed after death — Will
10. Money paid to compensate for loss or injury — Compensation
11. A formal, official order by a court or authority — Decree
12. The period during which a new employee is assessed before confirmation — Probation
13. The act of temporarily suspending a rule or law — Moratorium
14. Freedom from a legal obligation or penalty — Exemption
15. A formal charge or accusation of a crime — Indictment

Legal and Court Terms (new to this edition)

1. A court order compelling a person to do or stop doing something — Injunction
2. Punishment inflicted in return for a wrong done — Retribution
3. A person accused of a crime in a court of law — Defendant
4. A person who brings a case against another in a court of law — Plaintiff
5. Freedom from prosecution granted to a witness or offender — Immunity
6. A formal, written statement given in evidence — Deposition
7. The act of setting a prisoner free before their sentence ends — Parole
8. To formally cancel a law, right, or agreement — Repeal
9. A crime punishable by death — Capital offence
10. A group of citizens sworn to give a verdict in a trial — Jury
11. One who gives false evidence under oath — Perjurer
12. A legally binding agreement between two or more parties — Contract

Emotions and Psychological States (new to this edition)

1. An intense, overpowering fear — Phobia
2. A strong desire to travel far away — Wanderlust
3. A feeling of intense pleasure or triumph — Elation
4. An irrational fear of enclosed spaces — Claustrophobia
5. A persistent, irrational fear of open or crowded spaces — Agoraphobia
6. A state of being unable to decide between two choices — Dilemma
7. A deep and unsettling sense of sadness with no clear cause — Melancholy
8. Excessive love or admiration for oneself — Narcissism
9. A strong, uncontrollable urge to do something — Compulsion
10. A feeling of guilt after doing something wrong — Remorse
11. A calm acceptance of a difficult situation — Resignation
12. Loss of memory, whether temporary or permanent — Amnesia

Leadership and Governance (new to this edition)

1. Government by a single ruler with absolute power — Autocracy
2. Government by the people, exercised through elected representatives — Democracy
3. Government run by officials rather than elected representatives — Bureaucracy
4. Rule by a small, powerful, and often self-interested group — Oligarchy
5. Government headed by a monarch, whether powerful or symbolic — Monarchy
6. Rule by the wealthy classes of a society — Plutocracy
7. A ruler who governs a country in place of the actual sovereign — Regent
8. A person who governs a colony or province on behalf of a higher authority — Governor
9. The illegal seizure of power in a state, usually by the military — Coup
10. Government in which religious leaders hold ultimate authority — Theocracy

Medical and Scientific Terms (new to this edition)

1. The scientific study of the structure of living organisms — Anatomy
2. A substance that destroys or inhibits the growth of bacteria — Antibiotic
3. A disease that is peculiar to a particular locality or people — Endemic
4. A disease that spreads across a large region or the whole world — Pandemic
5. The scientific study of heredity and variation in living organisms — Genetics
6. A substance that counteracts the effects of a poison — Antidote
7. Incapable of being cured — Incurable
8. The branch of medicine dealing with the treatment of children — Paediatrics
9. An examination of a dead body to determine the cause of death — Autopsy
10. The scientific study of the mind and behaviour — Psychology
11. The scientific study of the causes and effects of diseases — Pathology
12. A group of symptoms that consistently occur together — Syndrome

Miscellaneous Exam Favourites

1. A short, witty saying that expresses a general truth — Aphorism
2. The study of the origin, structure, and development of language — Philology
3. A speech given without any prior preparation — Extempore
4. Handwriting that is difficult or impossible to read — Illegible
5. Words inscribed on a tomb in memory of the person buried there — Epitaph
6. A list of books referred to in a piece of writing — Bibliography
7. Something no longer in use because it has been replaced — Obsolete
8. A government by a small group of powerful people — Oligarchy
9. Excessive love or admiration for one's own country — Jingoism
10. A remedy or solution for all problems — Panacea
11. A word that sounds the same as another but has a different meaning — Homophone
12. A collection of maps bound together in a book — Atlas
13. Writing that praises a person excessively — Panegyric
14. A person who is present at an event but does not take part — Bystander
15. A gathering of people for worship — Congregation
16. One who settles permanently in a foreign country — Immigrant