English Vocabulary — Antonyms Choose the word that is OPPOSITE in meaning to the highlighted noun in the sentence below. Sentence: The habit of squandering money should not be encouraged. Target word: squandering

Introduction / Context:
"Squandering" means wasting money carelessly or extravagantly. The antonym should indicate careful preservation or prudent use of money. This question checks whether you can separate true opposites from merely related financial actions.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Target noun/gerund: squandering (wasteful spending).
• Financial behavior context.
• One clear opposite must be chosen.

Concept / Approach:

The direct opposite of wasting money is "saving" money — keeping it rather than spending needlessly. Other options either describe unrelated actions or even align with the target (e.g., "spending").

Step-by-Step Solution:

1) Define squandering = wasting resources, especially money.2) Opposite behavior = conserving/preserving resources.3) "Saving" exactly captures that opposite.4) Dismiss distractors not aligned with the waste vs conserve axis.

Verification / Alternative check:

Sentence flip: "The habit of saving money should be encouraged" is the natural opposite recommendation to discouraging squandering.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

discarding: Throwing away; not a standard opposite to financial waste.boarding: Wrong word in this context; likely a malapropism for "hoarding."collecting: Gathering money/items; not the antonym of wasting.spending: Often correlates with squandering, not its opposite.

Common Pitfalls:

Some learners pick "collecting" thinking it prevents waste, but collecting does not imply prudence. "Saving" is the canonical opposite of "squandering" in financial literacy contexts.

Final Answer:

saving