SSC CGL 2024 Tier-I · 10 September 2024, Shift 1 · English Comprehension · Question 19 of 98

Text as printed on a candidate's response sheet for this shift; answer per SSC's tentative key as marked on that sheet. Solution last reviewed 10 September 2026.

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SSC does not publish CGL question papers or a public answer key. The questions and options here are reproduced as printed on a candidate's own response sheet for this shift — the Commission's text, unchanged. Each answer is SSC's tentative key as marked on that sheet; SSC allowed challenges to it and never publishes a final key. The solutions are written by UnlockIAS.

Identify from the given options the word which is similar in meaning to the following word. Equivocal

(a)Ambiguous
(b)Balanced
(c)Clear
(d)Representative

Answer

Why

Correct — A. Equivocal means open to more than one interpretation — wording that can be read two ways, usually on purpose.

Ambiguous carries exactly that sense: capable of more than one meaning.

The root confirms it. Equivocal is Latin aequus (equal) plus vox (voice) — equal voice, two meanings speaking at once. Option (a).

Why the others are wrong

(b)
Balanced — Balanced is the trap the root sets: aequus means equal, so equivocal looks like evenhanded. The word is about double meaning, not about fairness between two sides.
(c)
Clear — Clear is the opposite. The negative form unequivocal means leaving no doubt, and it only means that because equivocal itself means unclear.
(d)
Representative — Representative means standing for others, or typical of a group. It says nothing about how many ways a statement can be read.

Concept

Equivocal describes language, evidence or a reply that will bear two readings — a doctor calling a test result equivocal means it points neither way.

Ambiguous is its plain-English match: capable of more than one meaning.

The pair is easy to lose because the root aequi- pulls your guess towards equal, fair, balanced. Fix on the other half of the word instead — vox, voice. Two voices, not one clear one.

Equivocal and its negative unequivocal turn up in exam English far more often than the verb equivocate, which means to speak ambiguously so as to avoid committing yourself.

Key facts

Equivocal means open to more than one interpretation.
Its negative, unequivocal, means clear and leaving no doubt.
The root is Latin aequus (equal) plus vox (voice), literally equal voice.
Equivocate is the verb: to use ambiguous language in order to avoid committing yourself.

Study next

Negative forms that are commoner than their roots, such as unequivocal beside equivocalWhat separates the near-synonyms ambiguous, vague, dubious and obscureThe Latin roots aequus and vox and the English words built on them

Common traps

Reading equi- as equal and choosing balanced.
Choosing clear, which is the meaning of unequivocal rather than of equivocal.
Confusing equivocal with equitable, which does mean fair.

This item gives the bare word with four one-word options and no sentence to steer you, so the root has to do the work.

The same Identify the word which is similar in meaning wording is keyed at 19 Sep 2024, 12:30 PM, English Q.15 (Morbid keys Gloomy) and at 26 Sep 2024, 12:30 PM, English Q.4 (Munificent keys Magnanimous).

SSC also asks it from the other side: 13 Sep 2024, 9:00 AM, English Q.18 wants the ANTONYM of ambiguous and keys certain.

Related PYQs

No directly related past PYQ was found.