Analogy — “Pardon” contrasts with “Penalty”; in similar fashion, “Definitely” contrasts best with ____. (Select the best contrary in degree of certainty.)

Introduction / Context:The first pair shows contrast: to pardon is to remove or cancel a penalty. We therefore seek a word that stands in practical opposition to “Definitely,” i.e., one that weakens certainty. “Probably” signals likelihood, not certainty, forming a contrast in degree of assurance.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Analogies often use graded contrasts when exact antonyms are rare.
• “Definitely” denotes 100% certainty; “Probably” indicates high but not full certainty.

Concept / Approach:Choose the response that best reduces certainty while staying semantically related to assertions.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:“Positively” is near-synonym; “Actually” states fact; “Urgently” concerns time, not certainty; “Perhaps” is weaker than “Probably” but remains in the same family—however, “probably” is the standard graded contrast.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

Common Pitfalls:Confusing exact antonyms with graded contrasts; in analogy sets, graded contrast is common and acceptable.

Final Answer:Probably