Select the most appropriate synonym to replace the underlined word in the given sentence. No altruistic act is truly sincere.

Correct — C. Altruistic means acting for the good of others, at cost to yourself. Philanthropic means showing active goodwill towards other people, and option (c) is the only choice standing in that field of meaning.

The roots line up. Altruistic traces to Latin alter, other; philanthropic joins Greek phil-, loving, to anthropos, human being.

Test it by substitution: no philanthropic act is truly sincere says what the original sentence says, which is what a synonym item asks you to check.

Why the others are wrong

• (a)
  phenomenal — Phenomenal means extraordinary or remarkable. It rates how impressive something is, not whom it is done for, so it cannot stand in for a word about selflessness.
• (b)
  phonotypical — Phonotypical belongs to the phon- family, which is about sound, as in phonetics and telephone. Nothing in it touches generosity.
• (d)
  phantasmal — Phantasmal means ghostly or illusory, from phantasm, an apparition. It describes something unreal, not an act done for others.

A synonym-in-a-sentence item is really a test of substitutability: put your choice back in the sentence and the meaning has to survive intact.

All four options begin with ph, so the eye cannot separate them. The root can. Split each one: phil plus anthropos, phen-, phon-, phantasm.

Altruism is the giving side of that field, and philanthropic is the only option that lives there.

Key facts

• Altruistic traces back through French altruisme to Latin alter, meaning other.
• Philanthropic combines Greek phil-, loving, with anthropos, human being.
• The element phon- means sound, as in phonetics, symphony and telephone.

Common traps

• Letting the words truly sincere pull you towards an option meaning genuine, when the underlined word is the one to be replaced.
• Picking phenomenal because it is the only familiar option on the list.

No directly related past PYQ was found.