Banking Notes / English Language / Chapter 12
Chapter 12 of 20

Vocabulary

Building banking-exam-relevant word power — the foundation chapter that Synonyms, Antonyms, and Idioms all build directly on top of.

📖 ~8 min read ✍️ Banking English Language

Introduction

Vocabulary is the foundation chapter for Synonyms, Antonyms, One Word Substitution, and vocabulary-in-context RC questions. Rather than memorising isolated word lists, recognising common prefixes, suffixes, and roots lets you estimate an unfamiliar word's meaning on the spot.

Common Prefixes & Their Meanings

PrefixMeaningExample
Anti-againstantithetical (opposed to)
Bene-goodbenevolent (kind, well-meaning)
Mal-badmalicious (intending harm)
In-/Im-/Un-notimpartial, unbiased
Pre-beforeprecede (come before)
Post-afterposterity (future generations)

Common Suffixes & Their Function

SuffixTypically FormsExample
-tion / -sionNoun (action/state)completion, decision
-ous / -fulAdjective (full of)ambitious, resourceful
-ify / -izeVerb (to make/cause)simplify, modernize
-lessAdjective (without)reckless, thoughtless
Q. Using prefix knowledge, what does "malfeasance" likely mean, given "mal-" means bad/wrong?
"Mal-" (bad) + "feasance" (relating to an act/doing) → an act of wrongdoing, especially by an official. "Malfeasance" means wrongdoing or misconduct, typically by someone in a position of authority.
⚠️ Key Insight: Prefix/suffix analysis gives you a strong estimate of meaning, not a guaranteed exact definition — use it to narrow down options in a synonym/antonym question rather than as the final word.
✅ Practice Focus: Recognising common prefixes and their opposite-forming function · Suffix- based part-of-speech identification · Estimating unfamiliar word meaning from word roots.

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