Antonym – Choose the option that best expresses the opposite meaning of the highlighted word in the sentence below. Sentence: In ancient India, scholars had no interest in political power or “material” growth. Target word: material (meaning in context: worldly, pertaining to possessions/wealth)

Introduction / Context:
Material, in value-discourse, denotes worldly or wealth-related pursuits. The sentence contrasts scholarly interests with political power and material growth; we must pick the antonym that points to non-worldly, inner, or transcendent pursuits typically associated with learning or asceticism in historical contexts.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Target sense: material = worldly/temporal/wealth-driven.
• Context: interests of ancient scholars.
• Options: internal, spiritual, psychic, celestial.

Concept / Approach:
In standard antonym pairs, material ↔ spiritual is the established opposition: material goods vs spiritual values. Internal is anatomical/positional; psychic relates to mind/paranormal claims; celestial refers to the heavens. Only spiritual cleanly reverses the worldly focus of material in socio-cultural discourse.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:
Common collocations—material prosperity vs spiritual fulfillment—confirm this as a stock opposition across religious and philosophical texts.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• internal: Opposes external, not material.
• psychic: Vague/occult overtones; not a standard antonym.
• celestial: Contrasts terrestrial; not the value-laden opposite of material.

Common Pitfalls:
Choosing celestial due to “non-earthly” feel. The sentence is about values and pursuits; spiritual captures that axis, not astronomical location.

Final Answer:
spiritual