English · One-Word Substitution

One-Word Substitution

Replace a whole phrase with a single, precise word

One-word substitution questions test whether you know a single word that captures the meaning of an entire phrase. These come up in nearly every SSC and Banking English section — usually 2-3 questions per paper — and the same set of words repeats often, so this is a genuinely high-value topic to master.

25 Common One-Word Substitutions

Phrase	One Word
A person who loves books	Bibliophile
A person who cannot read or write	Illiterate
A place where books are kept for public use	Library
A person who speaks many languages	Polyglot
A person who studies the stars and planets	Astronomer
One who is not sure about the existence of God	Agnostic
A person who eats too much	Glutton
A word that can be understood in two different ways	Ambiguous
A person who works for free	Volunteer
Government by the people	Democracy
A person who leaves their own country to settle in another	Emigrant
One who believes that war and violence are unjustifiable	Pacifist
A place where money is coined by authority	Mint
A handwriting that cannot be read	Illegible
A person who is new to a job or activity	Novice
Study of ancient societies through their remains	Archaeology
A person who does not believe in God	Atheist
Words engraved on a tomb	Epitaph
A person who looks on the bright side of things	Optimist
A person who looks on the dark side of things	Pessimist
One who can use both hands equally well	Ambidextrous
A list of books referred to in a piece of writing	Bibliography
A person who has no permanent home and moves place to place	Nomad
Handwriting that is very good and clear	Calligraphy
A doctor who treats children	Pediatrician

Study tip: Don't try to memorize all 25 in one sitting. Group them by theme (people, places, abstract qualities) — it's much easier to recall "words for types of people" as a set than as a random scattered list.

Practice Questions

1. A person who speaks many languages is called:

A. Linguist    B. Polyglot    C. Translator    D. Orator

Answer: B. Polyglot

2. Words engraved on a tomb are called:

A. Epilogue    B. Epigram    C. Epitaph    D. Eulogy

Answer: C. Epitaph

3. A person who is not sure about the existence of God is:

A. Atheist    B. Agnostic    C. Pacifist    D. Pessimist

Answer: B. Agnostic

4. A doctor who treats children is called a:

A. Cardiologist    B. Pediatrician    C. Dermatologist    D. Physician

Answer: B. Pediatrician

5. A person who has no permanent home and moves from place to place is a:

A. Migrant    B. Nomad    C. Refugee    D. Tourist

Answer: B. Nomad

📝

Want to try the quiz?

Practice with our free mock tests — instant scoring, no sign-up needed.

Try the Quiz →