He was appointed as the honorary member of the team.
- (a)paid
- (b)invited
- (c)accepted
- (d)unpaid
Correct — D, unpaid. An honorary post is held for the honour of it and not for a salary, so an honorary member of the team serves without payment, which is precisely what 'unpaid' states.
- (a)paid — 'Paid' is the direct opposite of what 'honorary' signals, because an honorary appointment carries no remuneration.
- (b)invited — 'Invited' tells us how the person came to the post, not on what terms he holds it, and one can be invited to a salaried job too.
- (c)accepted — 'Accepted' describes agreeing to join and says nothing about whether the position carries a salary.
'Honorary' describes a title or position conferred as an honour, held without salary and often without the usual duties or qualifications.
Candidates often blur 'honorary' with 'honourable', which means deserving of respect. The sense tested here is the office-holding one, and the only option that speaks to the terms of service rather than to the manner of appointment is 'unpaid'.
- An honorary degree or honorary membership is conferred as a mark of respect, without the usual requirements being met.
- 'Honorary' concerns the unpaid nature of a post, while 'honourable' concerns character or rank.
- Choosing a word about how someone joined, such as 'invited' or 'accepted', when the tested word describes the terms of the post.
- Confusing 'honorary' with 'honourable' and looking for a word about respect.
Asked as a vocabulary item — pick the option nearest in meaning to the tested word as it is used in the sentence.
No directly related past PYQ was found.
- practice — not a real PYQ
Which word is nearest in meaning to 'voluntary' in the sentence 'She did voluntary work at the shelter.'?
- (a)compulsory
- (b)unpaid
- (c)skilled
- (d)seasonal
Answer(b) unpaid — voluntary work is done by choice and without wages.
- practice — not a real PYQ
An 'honorary doctorate' is one that is
- (a)earned by passing an examination
- (b)conferred as a mark of respect
- (c)bought from the university
- (d)valid for one year only
Answer(b) conferred as a mark of respect — no course work or fee is involved.