101+ One Word Substitutions PDF in English [with Examples]

What is a One-Word Substitution? Word Substitution simply means using a specific word to replace a wordy phrase or sentence and making it shorter, more concise and clearer to understand. This way, the word becomes identical to the sentence thus providing the same meaning as the wordy sentence. The best way to master this concept is to learn their meanings by putting them in a particular sentence or visualising them through an interesting story.

One-word substitution questions frequently occur in many competitive exams such as SBI PO, UPSC, CAPF, CDS, RRB, SSC etc. Read this blog to find 100+ one-word substitutions with examples as well as practice questions and quizzes for competitive exams.

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What is One Word Substitution in the English Language?

One-word substitution is the use of one word in place of a wordy phrase to make the sentence structure clearer and avoid lengthy sentences. The meaning, with the replacement of the phrase, remains identical while the sentence becomes shorter. 

Also Read: Antonyms: 110+ Antonym Words You Should Explore!

Why Do We Need One-Word Substitutions?

One-word substitutions are important as they make communication in the English language much more concise, lucid, and easy. People can remember words and communicate bigger meanings through simple words. For example, saying “She is someone who puts forth an idea which she doesn’t believe” is much harder as compared to just saying “She is a Hypocrite”. One-word substitutions make our sentences more precise and reduce complexity. These substitutions also help us to classify words based on the suffixes which makes it easy to categorize them and put similar words together.

How to Solve One-Word Substitution?

Before checking on the examples for one-word substitutions, let’s see how to solve them. These can be solved by identifying its ‘root word’ or core meaning and then identifying the prefix and suffix. Many words like Anthropology come from the root word anthrōpos which means humans (Here ‘Anthro’ is the prefix and ‘ology’ is the suffix). Hence anthropology means the study of humanity. To gain mastery in understanding root words, you should be familiar with the etymology and linguistics of the words.

500+ Most Commonly Used Idioms in English: Meaning and Examples

Categories of One Word Substitution

There are different categories of One Word Substitution:

• Study-related
• Terms-related
• Group/Collection
• Government/Political Systems-related
• People/Person
• Profession/Occupation
• Science/Research
• Killing/Death-related
• Sound/Event/Spots

Also Read: Add Insult to Injury Meaning, Examples, Synonyms

100+ One Word Substitutions with Examples

Here is the complete list of 100+ One Word Substitutions for competitive exams:

Study-Related

Listed below is the category of study with one word substitution examples:

Study-related	One Word Substitution	Examples
Study of Stars	Astronomy	I love this book on Astronomy.
The study of statistics is known as	Demography	The demography of the whole town’s population has been mapped.
The study of ancient writing and scriptures	Palaeography	These three university professors have been immersed in the research and study of Paleography for over a decade.
The study of rocks and soil	Geology	My Geology homework is not going to be completed by the final submission date.
The ancient search for a universal panacea, and of the philosopher’s stone. The medieval version of the study of Chemistry	Alchemy	The magician wanted to learn Alchemy to master some ancient spells.
The study of the evolution of mankind	Anthropology	Anthropological research helps us trace our civilization.
The study of the Human Mind	Psychology	I am really interested in studying Psychology and how the mind works.
The practice of writing dictionaries	Lexicography	She works in the Lexicography department of the publishing house.
The study of plants	Botany	Her interest in plants motivated her to pursue this course in Botany.
The study of rocks and soils	Geology	Do I need to study Geology before going rock climbing?
The study of languages	Philology	How many languages does Philology cover?

Government/Systems

Listed below is the category of Government/Systems with one word substitution examples:

One Word Substitutes	Government/System
A state of disorder due to the absence or non-recognition of authority or other controlling systems	Anarchy
A form of government in which power is held by the nobility	Aristocracy
A system of government by one person with absolute power	Autocracy
A self-governing country or region	Autonomy
A system of government in which most of the important decisions are taken by state officials rather than by elected representatives	Bureaucracy
A system of government by the whole population or all the eligible members of a state, typically through elected representatives	Democracy
A state, society, or group governed by old people	Gerontocracy
A state or country run by the worst, least qualified, or most unscrupulous citizens	Kakistocracy
Government by new or inexperienced hands	Neocracy
Government by the populace	Ochlocracy
A small group of people having control of a country or organization	Oligarchy
Government by the wealthy	Plutocracy
Government not connected with religious or spiritual matters	Secular
A form of government with a monarch at the head	Monarchy
A political system based on the government of men by God	Thearchy

Also Read: Willy Nilly Idiom Meaning with Examples

Venue/Spot

Listed below is the category of Venue/Spot with one word substitution examples:

List of One-Word Substitutions	Venue/Spot
A collection of historical documents or records providing information about a place, institution, or group of people	Archives
A large cage, building, or enclosure to keep birds	Aviary
A building where animals are butchered	Abattoir
A place where bees are kept; a collection of beehives	Apiary
A building containing tanks of live fish of different species	Aquarium
A place or scene of activity, debate, or conflict	Arena
A collection of weapons and military equipment	Arsenal
An institution for the care of people who are mentally ill	Asylum
A hole or tunnel dug by a small animal, especially a rabbit, as a dwelling	Burrow
A collection of items of the same type stored in a hidden or inaccessible place	Cache
A public room or building where gambling games are played	Casino
A large burial ground, especially one not in a churchyard	Cemetery
A room in a public building where outdoor clothes or luggage may be left	Cloakroom
A place where a dead person’s body is cremated	Crematorium
A Christian community of nuns living together under monastic vows	Convent
The nursery where babies and young children are cared for during the working day	Creche
A stoppered glass container into which wine or spirit is decanted	Decanter
A room or building equipped for gymnastics, games, and other physical exercise	Dormitory
The nest of a squirrel, typically in the form of a mass of twigs in a tree	Drey
A room or building equipped for gymnastics, games, and another physical exercise	Gymnasium
A storehouse for threshed grain	Granary
A large building with an extensive floor area, typically for housing aircraft	Hangar
A box or cage, typically with a wire mesh front, for keeping rabbits or other small domesticated animals	Hutch
A place in a large institution for the care of those who are ill	Infirmary
A small shelter for a dog	Kennel
A place where wild animals live	Lair
A place where coins, medals, or tokens are made	Mint
A collection of wild animals kept in captivity for exhibition	Menagerie
A building or buildings occupied by a community of monks living under religious vows	Monastery
A place where bodies are kept for identification	Morgue
A piece of enclosed land planted with fruit trees	Orchard
A large natural or artificial lake used as a source of water supply	Reservoir
A small kitchen or room at the back of a house used for washing dishes and other dirty household work	Scullery
A close-fitting cover for the blade of a knife or sword	Sheath
A room or building for sick children in a boarding school	Sanatorium
A place where animal hides are tanned	Tannery
A large, tall cupboard in which clothes may be hung or stored	Wardrobe

Profession/Research

Listed below is the category of Profession/Research with one word substitution examples:

One Word Substitution	Profession/Research
The medieval forerunner of chemistry	Alchemy
A person who presents a radio/television programme	Anchor
One who studies the evolution of mankind	Anthropologist
A person who is trained to travel in a spacecraft	Astronaut
The scientific study of the physiology, structure, genetics, ecology, distribution, classification and economic importance of plants	Botany
A person who draws or produces maps	Cartographer
A person who writes beautiful writing	Calligrapher
A person who composes the sequence of steps and moves for a performance of dance	Choreographer
A person employed to drive a private or hired car	Chauffeur
A person who introduces the performers or contestants in a variety show	Compere
A keeper or custodian of a museum or other collection	Curator
The branch of biology concerned with cyclical physiological phenomena	Chronobiology
A secret or disguised way of writing	Cypher
The study of statistics	Demography
The use of the fingers and hands to communicate and convey ideas	Dactylology
A person who sells and arranges cut flowers	Florist
A line of descent traced continuously from an ancestor	Genealogy
The therapeutic use of sunlight	Heliotherapy
Compare	Horticulture
One who supervises in the examination hall	Invigilator
The theory or philosophy of law	Jurisprudence
A person who compiles dictionaries	Lexicographer
The scientific study of the structure and diseases of teeth	Odontology
One who presents a radio programme	Radio Jockey
The art of effective or persuasive speaking or writing	Rhetoric
The branch of science concerned with the origin, structure and composition of rocks	Petrology
One who studies the elections and trends in voting	Psephologist
An artist who makes sculptures.	Sculptor
The scientific study of the behaviour, structure, physiology, classification and distribution of animals	Zoology

Group/Collection-related

Listed below is the category of Group/Collection with one word substitution examples:

Group/Collection	One Word Substitution	Examples
A group of sheep	Flock	I saw a shepherd down the hill with a flock of sheep.
A family of young animals	Brood	Mr Styles like spending hours bathing the brood of horses in the stable.
A number of people travelling together in a big van or jeep	Caravan	A caravan of hippies just passed by.
A series of stars	Constellation	This constellation looks like a burger!
A large group of people	Horde	A horde of college students was gathered around the voting booth.
A temporary police force	Posse	Jake went to arrest the criminal with his posse.
A group of cattle or sheep	Herd	Keep your herd of cows in the backyard.
Several people travelling together in a big van or jeep	Shoal	I saw a shoal of mackerel on that side of the river.
A group of worshippers	Congregation	The congregation will happen at St. Mary’s Church at 4pm tomorrow.

Must Read: 50 Common Difficult Idioms with Examples

Person/People-related

Listed below is the category of people with one word substitution examples:

Person/People	One Word Substitution	Examples
The one who loves mankind	Philanthropist	He became a renowned philanthropist after joining Buddhism.
The one who looks at the brighter side of everything	Optimist	Louis has always been the biggest optimistic person I know.
The one who looks at the negative/dark side of everything.	Pessimist	I am always on the edge of becoming a total pessimist.
The one who does not believe in God.	Atheist	I am neither an Atheist nor a religious person.
The one who eats human flesh	Cannibal	The police caught these cannibals from the jungle.
Someone who regards the world as their country	Cosmopolitan	Globalisation will give rise to more cosmopolitans.
The one who loves good food and knows a lot about it	Gourmet	I could have been a Gourmet if I liked spicy food!
Someone who lives in solitude	Recluse	I want to become a recluse after I retire.
Someone who speaks more than one language	Polyglot	I took up Turkish to become a Polyglot.
A person who boasts of one’s achievements	Egotist	She saw him as a thoughtless egotist.
People who can vote in an election:	Electorate	Last year’s electorate comprised of many first-time voters.
A person who loves himself the most	Narcissist	John is a narcissist and will never love anyone else but himself.
A person who draws maps	Cartographer	A cartographer can help you find the right way through a complex forest land through his mastery of maps.
A person who abandons his religion	Apostate	Watching his daughter die of cancer made Steve become an apostate.
A person was appointed to settle a dispute between two parties	Arbitrator	The one who is all-powerful
The one who knows everything	Omniscient	He is such a know-it-all but he is not an omniscient.
The one who is all powerful	Omnipotent	We often stereotype a superhero as an Omnipotent but it’s important to have some flaws to make them human.
The one who is present everything	Omnipresent	Technology has become synonymous with omnipresent nowadays.
Someone who is eighty years old.	Octogenarian	My grandpa is an octogenarian.
The one who settles in another country.	Immigrant	It isn’t easy being an immigrant in the USA.
Someone who cares about mankind.	Humanitarian	She is known for her humanitarian efforts.

Profession-related

Listed below is the category of profession with one word substitution examples:

Person/People	One Word Substitution	Examples
Someone trained to travel and operate a spacecraft.	Astronaut	Kalpana Chawla is one of the greatest women astronauts.
The one who makes maps or charts	Cartographer	We need a cartographer to decode these cryptic maps.
Someone who sells or grows flowers or studies or writes about flowers.	Florist	Harry is my favorite florist and I like how he gives unique facts about what every flower symbolises.
Someone with a beautiful handwriting	Calligrapher	I started as a calligrapher and then became a tattoo artist.
The supervising person during an examination	Invigilator	The invigilator is too lazy to even check the students in the back.
Someone who presents or hosts a radio show	Radio Jockey	A radio jockey needs to have brilliant communication skills.
Someone who choreographs dances attuning certain sequences of steps and movements along music	Choreographer	Can you find me a wedding choreographer?
Someone who is the custodian or the keeper of a museum	Curator	I like being a curator as I get to meet artists from different parts of the world.
A person who doesn’t like humankind devoids himself of human society	Misanthrope	Grinch wasn’t the mean-spirited misanthrope most of us took him to be.
A person who collects coins as a hobby	Numismatist	As a Numismatist, I have a huge collection of currencies from almost all the countries around the world.
Someone employed to drive a hired car	Chauffeur	The chauffeur will come by 4 pm to the venue.
Someone who walks by foot.	Pedestrian	This side of the road is for Pedestrians.
Someone who is reserved and shy.	Introvert	I like being an introvert and I am happy with a small social circle.

Also Read: 50 Difficult Phrases with Meanings!

Terms-related One-Word Substitution Examples

Listed below is the category of terms with one word substitution examples:

Terms	One Word Substitutions	Example
Indefinite period of time	Aeon	Those days became boring, aeon and too long to pass.
Appreciation of beauty, by a set of principles.	Aesthetics	I found this website quite appealing especially because of its aesthetics
Spartan snowstorms with uncontrollable winds	Blizzard	On our way back to the hotel, we got caught in a blizzard.
An eccentric manner of living	Bohemian	She felt embarrassed when her friends made fun of her bohemian clothing.
Huge fire for celebration	Bonfire	The campers spent their night by the bonfire.
Dwarfed varieties of trees and shrubs in pots	Bonsai	Her room was filled with bonsai plants.
The remote regions of a country which are far away from the rivers	Hinterland	Her cottage was situated in a hinterland deprived of any beautiful scenery.
Complex situation or a mix-up	Imbroglio	The romantic imbroglio happened when he met my landlords assuming they were my parents.
Make someone feel young	Rejuvenate	This exfoliating scrub can completely rejuvenate your skin.
Not showing enough care and attention	Remiss	I realised that she was totally remiss in finishing her daily tasks.
A shelter for a Dog	Kennel	Our new pup spent all his day hiding inside the kennel.
Where wild animals live	Lair	I found a hidden lair in the forest but was too afraid to go inside it.
A place where coins are made	Mint	This industrial facility is actually a mint which manufactures coins.
Ordinary and Dull	Mundane	I am bored with the mundane life of the quarantined days.
Published after someone’s death	Posthumous	Mr Smith’s posthumous works brought him an immense number of accolades.
The profession of teaching or the approach or style of teaching	Pedagogy	It was his unique approach to pedagogy that made him every student’s favourite.
The symbols of royalty	Regalia	The queen was adorned in full regalia.
A political system solely based on the government of men by God	Thearchy	The village was ruled by the system of thearchy.
A person promises to tell the truth in court	Oath	I couldn’t disrespect the oath and thus revealed everything.
Beginning to exist and evolve	Nascent	Biotechnology bloomed from a nascent sector to a booming industry.
Ethically good behaviour one has	Virtue	Patience is seen as the virtue of a man.
Humour that describes the weaknesses	Satire	Ghasiram Kotwal is an incredibly written satire on the political scenario of Maharashtra in the early 20th century.
Changing the direction of one’s path suddenly	Veer	He veered the car in the other direction as the deer came in the way.
Enjoy something for an extended time	Savour	Don’t forget to savour this delectable wine!
Someone who is wrongly blamed for things that others have done	Scapegoat	They used him as a scapegoat to accuse him of the whole conspiracy
Space where animal hides are tanned	Tannery	The leather for this coat has been skinned in the tannery.
Determined to achieve something	Tenacious	She was tenacious enough to chase after her dream of becoming a film actor.
The sound of Parrots	Screech	I woke up to the screeching of birds by the window.
Using a word or name that is inappropriate	Misnomer	It’s quite a misnomer to call it a victory since he scored the lowest marks in the test.
A government that has a monarch as the head	Monarchy	With a king ruling the country, the Monarchy is different from a democracy.
The sound of Camels	Grunt	In the vastness of the desert, the only sound you can hear is the constant grunting of camels from far away.
Events manifested by festivities	Fiesta	Last night’s party was a total fiesta.
The ranting of a person	Whine	Aakriti is always whining about the weather.
An accolade or honour bestowed in recognition of an achievement:	Destitute	Ajay grew up in a destitute existence.
Absolute freedom to act as one wishes	Carte blanche	Extremely poor people
A person who is unsure about God’s existence	Agnostic	Though he was raised in a conservative Hindu family, he remained agnostic most of his life.
Her mother gave her carte blanche to follow the career path she wanted.	Agony	He fell to the ground in agony.
Extreme physical or mental suffering	Aikido	He has mastered Aikido and his next goal is to learn Kung fu.
A soldier who fights for the sake of money	Mercenary	You are a mercenary and you kill people with any guns!
Immutable	Laurel	She enjoyed the laurels of her acting achievements.
A person who behaves without moral principles	Immoral	Lying is completely immoral even if it is done for a good purpose.
Charging a politician with a serious crime	Impeach	Japanese form of self-defence with the usage of locks holds
Government instructions that limit trade in some way	Embargo	Trump was impeached recently but it didn’t affect his position as the president.
Believer of fate	Fatalist	With the danger of the virus hovering over the whole world, an embargo on international trade was mutually decided upon.
Loves being social and enjoys the company of others	Gregarious	Gurleen is a gregarious girl and we often call her the social butterfly of our class!
Trees grow without underbrush.	Grove	I am a fatalist for I believe that our destiny has already been written.
An office with a high salary but no work	Sinecure	After listening to the perks that Seema has at her office, Vishal assumes she works at a Sinecure.
A person who betrays and descents an organisation or country	Renegade	It is currently flashing in the news that a renegade policeman shot three innocent people.
One who is much concerned about details and accuracy	Fastidious	Virat is fastidious about his hair. He makes sure that he visits the salon at regular intervals.
A place for storage of arms and ammunition	Arsenal	The officer informed the soldier about his new posting in Arsenal.
One who is expelled from a religious community	Excommunicate	His misconduct at the previous religious gathering led to his ex-communication.
A person who eats too much	Glutton	As soon as the guests left, Riya didn’t miss a chance to call our cousin Glutton.
Something which can be copied	Immitable	As the captain’s approach for the finale was imitable, he is still called a legend.

Top 40 One-Word Substitutions Asked in Competitive Exams

Killing-related One-Word Substitution Examples

Killing-related	One Word Substitution	Examples
When someone kills their own father	Patricide	Jean was arrested for patricide.
The act of killing a king	Regicide	The monarchy fell with the regicide.
The killing of a person by another	Homicide	He went to jail on the charge of homicide.
The killing of one’s child	Filicide	The police filed a report about filicide that happened in the C block.

One-Word Substitution Sample Questions

Now that you have understood the concept of one-word substitution, let us sample some sample questions so that you develop a strong command over it!

Q1. An individual who is unable to express or interact easily

A) Extrovert
B) Introvert
C) Ambivert
D) None of the Above

Q2. A stream of water moving very fast

A) Current
B) Tide
C) Torrent
D) Storms

Q3. Shikha spends a lot of money on clothes. Her cousins call her a:

A) Frugal
B) Economical
C) Miser
D) Spendthrift

Q4. Asmita works hard for the upliftment of poor children. She even donates half of her salary to NGOs. She is:

A) Philanthropist
B) Selfish
C) Tightfisted
D) None of the Above

Q5. It is impossible to see through it.

A) Translucent
B) Fragile
C) Opaque
D) Transparent

Q6. Aman is scared of thunderstorms. He suffers:

A) Acrophobia
B) Ophidiophobia
C) Nephophobia
D) Astraphobia

Q7. She caught the robbers

A) Courageously
B) Frightened
C) Cowardly
D) None of the above

Q8. Lalit has a good knowledge of Music. His father calls him:

A) Incompetent
B) Amateur
C) Maestro
D) Beginner

Q9. After attending a career counselling session, he understood that his ____ was cooking:

A) Niche
B) Supplant
C) Replacement
D) None of the above

Q10. You can’t park your truck here. It is:

A) Lawful
B) Allowed
C) Unauthorized
D) None of the Above

Answers:

1. B
2. C
3. D
4. A
5. C
6. D
7. A
8. C
9. A
10. C

[BONUS] One Word Substitution Quiz

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