Difficulty: Easy
Correct Answer: Indifference
Explanation:
Introduction / Context:
This question tests your knowledge of antonyms related to qualities of attention and alertness. The word Vigilance is frequently used in contexts like security, safety and quality control, where being watchful is very important. You must identify the option that captures the opposite quality, that is, the absence of care or alert observation. Such vocabulary pairs are common in banking, SSC and other government examinations.
Given Data / Assumptions:
Concept / Approach:
Vigilance combines the ideas of alertness and sustained attention. A vigilant person keeps watch and notices changes or threats. Therefore, the opposite quality would be a state where someone does not care enough to watch, or is not interested in what is happening. Indifference expresses this lack of interest or concern. In contrast, Diligence, Acuity and Circumspection are all positive qualities related to effort, sharpness or caution, which are closer to vigilance than to its opposite.
Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that Vigilance means the action or state of keeping careful watch for possible danger or difficulties.
Step 2: Consider the meaning of Indifference, which is lack of interest, concern or sympathy.
Step 3: Understand that if a person is indifferent, they are not alert or watchful; they simply do not care enough to be vigilant.
Step 4: Look at Diligence, which means careful and persistent work or effort, and therefore aligns more with being attentive than with being careless.
Step 5: Note that Acuity means sharpness, especially of thought or vision, and Circumspection means caution and prudence, both of which support vigilance rather than oppose it. Therefore, Indifference is the correct antonym.
Verification / Alternative check:
Imagine a night watchman who is supposed to guard a building. If he does his job with vigilance, he stays awake and attentive to every sound and movement. If he behaves with indifference, he may sleep or ignore what is happening, showing no concern for danger. Diligence in this situation would mean he works hard at his duty. Acuity would help him notice small details, and Circumspection would make him act carefully. Only indifference produces a situation where vigilance is absent, confirming it as the true antonym.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Diligence does not oppose vigilance; instead, it supports it by indicating careful, persistent effort. A diligent person is likely to be vigilant as well. Acuity refers to sharpness of mind or senses, which would enhance vigilance by making it easier to notice threats. Circumspection means being wary and unwilling to take risks, again a quality close to vigilance because it involves careful observation and thought. None of these can serve as opposite to vigilance; they are nearly synonyms or related positive traits.
Common Pitfalls:
A frequent mistake is selecting a word that simply seems unrelated instead of a true opposite. Another common pitfall is confusing diligence with vigilance because they both involve carefulness, leading some students to think they oppose each other. To avoid this, always translate the target word into a simple phrase in your own words, such as vigilance equals careful watch. Then search for the option that clearly contradicts that phrase. This habit helps you move beyond superficial similarities and identify genuine antonyms.
Final Answer:
The word that is opposite in meaning to Vigilance is Indifference.
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