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One Word Substitution MCQs

One Word Substitution MCQs are multiple-choice questions that ask you to replace a phrase or description with a single precise English word, such as 'polygamy' for the custom of having many wives. They help candidates preparing for CSS, PPSC, SSC CGL and BCS English papers. Each question shows its answer instantly, making vocabulary revision quick and focused.

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About One Word Substitution MCQs

This category tests whether you know the exact word that matches a definition. Questions cover people and roles, such as an accomplice who helps commit a crime or an antiquarian who deals in old objects; habits and customs, such as polygamy or a teetotaller who avoids alcohol; and actions, such as acclimatising to a foreign climate or introspecting on one's own thoughts. Literary terms like soliloquy also appear.

One word substitution is a regular part of the English sections in public service commission papers and staff selection exams across South Asia. It rewards wide reading and a good grasp of word roots. Practising many items helps you recognise common prefixes and suffixes, for example '-cide' for killing or 'omni-' for all, so you can work out unfamiliar options even when you have not seen the exact word before.

Key facts to remember

  • A soliloquy is a speech in which a character speaks thoughts aloud while alone.
  • An accomplice is a person who helps another person commit a crime.
  • A teetotaller is a person who never drinks alcohol.
  • Introspection means examining one's own thoughts and feelings.
  • Infallible describes something or someone that never fails or makes mistakes.

Exams that include One Word Substitution MCQs

Pakistan

  • CSS
  • PMS
  • FPSC
  • PPSC
  • NTS
  • ISSB
  • Banking job tests

India

  • SSC CGL
  • SSC CHSL
  • IBPS PO
  • SBI PO
  • CDS
  • NDA

Bangladesh

  • BCS
  • Bank job exams
  • Bangladesh Bank recruitment
  • Government job tests
  • University admission tests (DU, RU, JU)

How to prepare for One Word Substitution MCQs

  1. Group words by theme, such as killing (homicide, regicide), government (autocracy, theocracy) and fears (phobias), to memorise them in sets.
  2. Learn common Latin and Greek roots, because they let you decode words like 'omniscient' or 'misanthrope' during the exam.
  3. Write each new word in a short sentence of your own, which helps it stay in memory longer than a bare definition.
  4. Revise words that look similar, such as 'emigrant' and 'immigrant', since examiners deliberately place both in the options.

Frequently asked questions

What are One Word Substitution MCQs?

One Word Substitution MCQs give a phrase or definition and ask you to choose the single word that expresses the same meaning. For example, 'a person who helps another commit a crime' is an accomplice. They test vocabulary precision and are a standard item in English sections of competitive and recruitment exams.

How many One Word Substitution MCQs are on MCQs360?

MCQs360 offers 207 One Word Substitution MCQs, each with the correct answer shown instantly. The questions are free to practise without any sign-up, so you can revise a handful daily and build a strong vocabulary bank over a few weeks.

Which exams ask One Word Substitution questions?

One word substitution appears in the English papers of CSS, PMS, FPSC and PPSC tests and NTS-based recruitment in Pakistan. In India it is common in SSC CGL, SSC CHSL, bank PO exams and CDS. In Bangladesh it features in BCS preliminary English, bank job exams and university admission tests.

How should I prepare for One Word Substitution MCQs?

Start with frequently tested words grouped by theme, such as professions, phobias, government types and killings. Learn common roots and prefixes so you can decode new words. Then practise mixed MCQs regularly and keep a notebook of every word you get wrong, revising it weekly until the meanings become automatic.

Last reviewed October 2026