Banking Notes / English Language / Chapter 16
Chapter 16 of 20

One Word Substitution

Replacing a full phrase or description with a single precise word — a compact, high-return topic for quick daily revision.

📖 ~7 min read ✍️ Banking English Language

Introduction

One Word Substitution (OWS) gives a descriptive phrase and asks for the single word that means the same thing. Like Idioms, this is primarily a memorisation-based chapter, best tackled through short daily lists rather than a single long session.

Frequently Tested Examples

PhraseOne Word
A person who loves booksBibliophile
A place where money is coinedMint
One who can speak two languagesBilingual
Government by the richPlutocracy
A person who is easily deceivedGullible
Handwriting that cannot be readIllegible
A statement that cannot be understoodAmbiguous / Cryptic
Q. Find the one word for: "A person who is unable to pay their debts."
Answer: Insolvent.
Q. Find the one word for: "The study of the origin and history of words."
Answer: Etymology.
⚠️ Key Insight: Some OWS words look and sound similar but mean very different things (e.g., "illegible" = cannot be read, vs "ineligible" = not qualified) — double-check spelling of near-identical options carefully before finalising.
✅ Practice Focus: Building a categorised OWS list (people, places, government types, documents) · Distinguishing near-identical-looking words · Short daily revision over one-time cramming.

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