Antonyms – Choose the word that is OPPOSITE in meaning to the highlighted word. Sentence: In a literary work, obscurity can be a virtue. Target word: obscurity

Introduction / Context:
Obscurity refers to a lack of clarity or difficulty in understanding. Critics sometimes debate whether deliberate obscurity has artistic value. Regardless of that debate, the antonymic target is the state of being clear and easy to comprehend.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Target word: obscurity.
• Domain: literary style and comprehension.
• Need: direct opposite.

Concept / Approach:
Antonym pairs are best chosen by reversing the defining feature. For obscurity, the feature is unreadability or hiddenness of meaning. Clarity reverses that by making meaning plain and readily accessible to readers.

Step-by-Step Solution:
1) Define: obscurity = lack of clarity, difficulty of interpretation.2) Reverse the feature: clarity = transparency and ease of understanding.3) Reject distractors that repeat the base meaning.4) Select clarity as the antonym.

Verification / Alternative check:
Replace in the sentence: “In a literary work, clarity can be a virtue.” This yields a coherent and opposite proposition to the original.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• ambiguity: uncertainty of meaning, aligned with obscurity.
• vagueness: imprecision or lack of sharp definition, aligned with obscurity.
• opacity: lack of transparency, again aligned with obscurity.

Common Pitfalls:
Confusing subtlety with clarity; subtle writing can still be clear. Obscure writing is not the same as profound writing.

Final Answer:
clarity