Theory & Concepts

Master One Word Substitution for SSC CGL

Get comprehensive theory, expert shortcuts, and hand-picked practice questions for One Word Substitution specifically designed for the SSC CGL 2025-26 pattern.

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One Word Substitution

One Word Substitution (OWS) is a major component of the SSC CGL English vocabulary section, carrying significant weightage in both Tier 1 and Tier 2. The most efficient way to master OWS is by learning the etymological root words. By understanding basic prefixes, roots, and suffixes, you can easily decode the meanings of hundreds of unfamiliar words in the exam.

Learning path

Root Word Methodology
Key Roots: -cide, -phobia
Key Roots: -cracy, -logy
20 Practice Questions

1. Master Vocabulary Using Root Words

Root words form the foundation of English vocabulary. Suffixes like -cide (killing), -phobia (fear), -cracy (rule/government), and -logy (study) allow us to group words into logical categories. Let's study these root words in depth.

Root 1-cide (Killing / Murder)

• Patricide: The act of killing one's father.
• Matricide: The act of killing one's mother.
• Fratricide: The act of killing one's brother.
• Sororicide: The act of killing one's sister.
• Uxoricide: The act of killing one's wife.
• Regicide: The act of killing a king or queen.
• Homicide: The act of killing another human being.
• Infanticide: The act of killing an infant.

Root 2-phobia (Fear / Dread)

• Acrophobia: Extreme or irrational fear of heights.
• Claustrophobia: Fear of confined or enclosed spaces.
• Xenophobia: Fear or hatred of foreigners or strangers.
• Hydrophobia: Extreme fear of water (often associated with rabies).
• Pyrophobia: Fear of fire.
• Zoophobia: Irrational fear of animals.
• Bibliophobia: Fear or hatred of books.
• Ochlophobia: Fear of crowds or mobs.

Root 3-cracy (Government / Rule / Power)

• Democracy: Government by the people, typically through elected representatives.
• Autocracy: Government by a single person with absolute power.
• Plutocracy: Government by the wealthy class.
• Oligarchy: Government by a small group of powerful people.
• Bureaucracy: Government run by state officials rather than elected representatives.
• Aristocracy: Government by the highest social class (nobility).
• Theocracy: Government run by priests or religious authorities.
• Anarchy: Complete absence of government or state rules.

Root 4-logy (Study of / Science of)

• Anthropology: The scientific study of human origins, behavior, and cultural development.
• Etymology: The study of the origin of words and how their meanings have changed over time.
• Ornithology: The scientific study of birds.
• Pathology: The study of diseases and their causes.
• Entomology: The scientific study of insects.
• Paleontology: The study of fossil remains of animals and plants.
• Archaeology: The study of human history and prehistory through the excavation of sites.
• Eschatology: The part of theology concerned with death, judgment, and the final destiny of the soul.

2. 20 Practice Questions (Solved)

Question 01Exam Pattern

Give one word for: "The murder or killing of a king."

A) Patricide

B) Fratricide

C) Regicide

D) Homicide

Correct answer: C) Regicide

Solution

Step 1: Identify the root words: '-cide' means killing.

Step 2: Decode options: 'Patri-' refers to father, 'Fratri-' refers to brother, 'Regi-' is derived from Latin 'rex' meaning king.

Step 3: Hence, 'Regicide' is the murder of a king.

Conclusion: Option C.

Question 02Exam Pattern

Give one word for: "Irrational fear of foreign people or cultures."

A) Claustrophobia

B) Xenophobia

C) Acrophobia

D) Ochlophobia

Correct answer: B) Xenophobia

Solution

Step 1: Root '-phobia' denotes irrational fear.

Step 2: Prefix 'Xeno-' means foreigners, strangers, or foreign things.

Step 3: Combining them gives 'Xenophobia'.

Conclusion: Option B.

Question 03Exam Pattern

Give one word for: "Government run by the wealthy class."

A) Democracy

B) Theocracy

C) Plutocracy

D) Aristocracy

Correct answer: C) Plutocracy

Solution

Step 1: Root '-cracy' denotes government or rule.

Step 2: 'Pluto-' is derived from Greek 'ploutos' meaning wealth.

Step 3: Combining them yields 'Plutocracy', which means government by the wealthy.

Conclusion: Option C.

Question 04Exam Pattern

Give one word for: "The scientific study of birds."

A) Entomology

B) Ornithology

C) Anthropology

D) Zoology

Correct answer: B) Ornithology

Solution

Step 1: Root '-logy' denotes the study of something.

Step 2: 'Ornitho-' represents birds.

Step 3: Thus, 'Ornithology' is the scientific study of birds. (Note: 'Entomology' is the study of insects).

Conclusion: Option B.

Question 05Exam Pattern

Give one word for: "The act of killing one's own wife."

A) Uxoricide

B) Sororicide

C) Matricide

D) Mariticide

Correct answer: A) Uxoricide

Solution

Step 1: The root suffix is '-cide' (killing).

Step 2: 'Uxori-' is derived from Latin 'uxor' meaning wife.

Step 3: 'Uxoricide' is the act of killing one's wife. (Note: 'Mariticide' is the killing of one's husband).

Conclusion: Option A.

Question 06Exam Pattern

Give one word for: "A person who has an irrational fear of heights."

A) Claustrophobic

B) Acrophobic

C) Pyrophobic

D) Xenophobic

Correct answer: B) Acrophobic

Solution

Step 1: 'Heights' is represented by the prefix 'Acro-'.

Step 2: '-phobic' is the adjectival suffix for one who fears.

Step 3: 'Acrophobic' matches a person fearing heights.

Conclusion: Option B.

Question 07Exam Pattern

Give one word for: "A system of government in which a single ruler has absolute power."

A) Oligarchy

B) Autocracy

C) Democracy

D) Bureaucracy

Correct answer: B) Autocracy

Solution

Step 1: 'Single' or 'self' is represented by 'Auto-'.

Step 2: Rule or power is '-cracy'.

Step 3: Hence, 'Autocracy' represents absolute power held by a single ruler.

Conclusion: Option B.

Question 08Exam Pattern

Give one word for: "The study of the origin and history of words."

A) Entomology

B) Etymology

C) Pathology

D) Archaeology

Correct answer: B) Etymology

Solution

Step 1: The study of words and their historical origins is 'Etymology'.

Step 2: Do not confuse this with 'Entomology' (the study of insects).

Conclusion: Option B.

Question 09Exam Pattern

Give one word for: "The killing of one's brother."

A) Patricide

B) Fratricide

C) Sororicide

D) Infanticide

Correct answer: B) Fratricide

Solution

Step 1: 'Frater' in Latin means brother, which yields 'Fratri-'.

Step 2: Combining with '-cide' gives 'Fratricide'.

Conclusion: Option B.

Question 10Exam Pattern

Give one word for: "Irrational fear of confined or small spaces."

A) Agoraphobia

B) Claustrophobia

C) Hydrophobia

D) Zoophobia

Correct answer: B) Claustrophobia

Solution

Step 1: Confined spaces are represented by 'Claustro-'.

Step 2: Rational or irrational fear is '-phobia'.

Step 3: Combining them gives 'Claustrophobia'.

Conclusion: Option B.

Question 11Exam Pattern

Give one word for: "Government run by officials who are not elected by the public."

A) Aristocracy

B) Plutocracy

C) Bureaucracy

D) Anarchy

Correct answer: C) Bureaucracy

Solution

Step 1: Non-elected state officials run a 'Bureaucracy'.

Step 2: 'Aristocracy' is government by nobles, and 'Plutocracy' is by the wealthy.

Conclusion: Option C.

Question 12Exam Pattern

Give one word for: "The scientific study of insects."

A) Etymology

B) Entomology

C) Ornithology

D) Biology

Correct answer: B) Entomology

Solution

Step 1: Insects are represented by the Greek root 'entomon'.

Step 2: Study of is '-logy'.

Step 3: Hence, 'Entomology' is the scientific study of insects.

Conclusion: Option B.

Question 13Exam Pattern

Give one word for: "The act of killing one's father."

A) Patricide

B) Matricide

C) Regicide

D) Fratricide

Correct answer: A) Patricide

Solution

Step 1: 'Pater' means father in Latin.

Step 2: Combined with '-cide' it forms 'Patricide'.

Conclusion: Option A.

Question 14Exam Pattern

Give one word for: "Fear of water (often rabies symptom)."

A) Pyrophobia

B) Hydrophobia

C) Acrophobia

D) Bibliophobia

Correct answer: B) Hydrophobia

Solution

Step 1: Water is represented by the prefix 'Hydro-'.

Step 2: Combining with '-phobia' gives 'Hydrophobia'.

Conclusion: Option B.

Question 15Exam Pattern

Give one word for: "State of society where there is a complete absence of law, order or government control."

A) Oligarchy

B) Monarchy

C) Anarchy

D) Theocracy

Correct answer: C) Anarchy

Solution

Step 1: Complete lawlessness and absence of government is called 'Anarchy'.

Step 2: Prefix 'an-' means without, and 'archos' means leader/government.

Conclusion: Option C.

Question 16Exam Pattern

Give one word for: "The scientific study of human origins, societies, and cultures."

A) Archaeology

B) Anthropology

C) Pathology

D) Sociology

Correct answer: B) Anthropology

Solution

Step 1: Humans or mankind are represented by the Greek root 'anthropos'.

Step 2: 'Anthropology' is the scientific study of human development and cultures.

Conclusion: Option B.

Question 17Exam Pattern

Give one word for: "The act of killing an infant or newborn child."

A) Fratricide

B) Infanticide

C) Homicide

D) Patronymic

Correct answer: B) Infanticide

Solution

Step 1: Killing of an infant matches 'Infanticide'.

Conclusion: Option B.

Question 18Exam Pattern

Give one word for: "An extreme fear or hatred of books."

A) Bibliophobia

B) Pyrophobia

C) Xenophobia

D) Claustrophobia

Correct answer: A) Bibliophobia

Solution

Step 1: Books are represented by the Greek root 'biblio-'.

Step 2: Fear is '-phobia'.

Step 3: 'Bibliophobia' represents fear or hatred of books.

Conclusion: Option A.

Question 19Exam Pattern

Give one word for: "A system of government run by priests or religious authorities."

A) Plutocracy

B) Theocracy

C) Aristocracy

D) Democracy

Correct answer: B) Theocracy

Solution

Step 1: Religion or god is represented by the prefix 'Theo-'.

Step 2: Rule is '-cracy'.

Step 3: 'Theocracy' is a government based on religious laws or ruled by priests.

Conclusion: Option B.

Question 20Exam Pattern

Give one word for: "The study of diseases and their causes/effects."

A) Pathology

B) Paleontology

C) Petrology

D) Physiology

Correct answer: A) Pathology

Solution

Step 1: Disease or suffering is represented by the Greek root 'pathos'.

Step 2: 'Pathology' is the science of the causes and effects of diseases.

Conclusion: Option A.

Strategy errors to avoid

Confusing Similar Roots

Always separate etymologically similar roots. For example, entomology (insects) vs. etymology (word history). Take a moment to isolate the root before choosing.

Ignoring Contextual Nuance

Some options can look very similar (e.g. Matricide vs. Mariticide). Ensure you double-check spelling carefully, as SSC CGL options are highly precise.

Master the next modules

Homonyms & Homophones Synonyms Antonyms