Select the option that is closest in meaning (synonym) to the word proximity, which refers to nearness or closeness in space, time, or relationship.

Introduction / Context:
Vocabulary questions that ask for synonyms help to assess how well a learner understands shades of meaning in English words. The target word in this question is proximity, which generally refers to nearness or closeness in space, time, or relationship. The task is to pick the option that most closely captures this idea of nearness from among four given words that differ in their usual meanings.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Given word: proximity.
• Options: futile, preposterous, absurd, imminent.
• The context suggests that we consider common exam usage, where approximate semantic similarity is often tested.
• We assume no additional sentence context, so we rely on dictionary meanings and frequent collocations.

Concept / Approach:
Proximity is a noun that means state of being near. It is related to words like closeness and nearness. Among the options, most words describe something unreasonable or pointless, while one word suggests an event that is near in time. Even though there is a grammatical difference between noun and adjective forms, vocabulary questions of this type focus primarily on semantic closeness. The idea of something that is imminent, that is about to happen soon, is conceptually related to nearness, especially temporal nearness.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that proximity means the state of being close, often in space or time. Step 2: Examine the meaning of futile, which refers to something pointless or without useful result. This has no connection to closeness. Step 3: Consider preposterous, which means ridiculous, completely unreasonable, or absurd, again unrelated to nearness. Step 4: Examine absurd, which means illogical, senseless, or laughably unreasonable, and is very similar in meaning to preposterous. Step 5: Examine imminent, which refers to something that is about to happen very soon, indicating closeness in time. Step 6: Observe that only imminent carries a sense of nearness, even if it specifically refers to time rather than space. Step 7: Conclude that imminent is the closest in meaning to proximity among the given choices.

Verification / Alternative check:
Although proximity is a noun and imminent is an adjective, many exam questions accept a shift in part of speech when the underlying core idea is preserved. In everyday usage, we might speak of the proximity of a deadline or say that a deadline is imminent. Both expressions suggest that the point in time is near. On the other hand, futile, preposterous, and absurd all share the idea of foolishness or pointlessness and have no semantic overlap with proximity. Thus, imminent remains the only plausible synonym in the given set.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Futile is wrong because it deals with lack of effectiveness rather than any kind of nearness. Preposterous is wrong because it means irrational or laughably unreasonable, and again does not connect with the concept of distance or time. Absurd is similarly incorrect because it emphasizes silliness or extreme unreasonableness. All three are therefore semantically distant from the idea of proximity and serve as distractors in this vocabulary question.

Common Pitfalls:
A common mistake is to look for words that simply feel familiar or appear frequently in exam papers rather than carefully recalling definitions. Another pitfall is ignoring the possibility that the best available option may be only indirectly related in part of speech but still closest in meaning. Students should train themselves to think in terms of core concepts, in this case nearness, and then select the choice that best fits that concept. This strategy helps in handling synonym questions that provide tricky or imperfect matches.

Final Answer:
The word that is closest in meaning to proximity is imminent, as it conveys nearness, especially in time.