Question

Choose the word opposite in meaning to the given word: SACROSANCT

• A. Irreligious
• B. Unethical
• C. Irreverent
• D. Unholy
• E.

Hint:

When choosing opposites, think of words related to sanctity or sacredness. "Unholy" directly contrasts with "sacrosanct."

Answer 1

The Correct Option is D

"Sacrosanct" refers to something regarded as too important or sacred to be interfered with. The opposite would be "unholy," meaning something that is not sacred or is profane. Thus, the correct answer is (D) Unholy. 

Answer 2

Separating "sacrosanct" into its two Latin parts, "sacro-" (sacred) and "sanctus" (made holy), and then looking for the option that directly negates sacredness itself, rather than one that merely describes an attitude toward it, isolates the precise opposite.

1. Option A (Irreligious): "Irreligious" describes a person's lack of religious belief or practice, an attitude rather than a quality of the thing itself, so it does not directly negate sacredness.
2. Option B (Unethical): "Unethical" concerns moral conduct, a different dimension from the sacred-versus-profane distinction carried by "sacrosanct."
3. Option C (Irreverent): "Irreverent" describes a disrespectful attitude toward something sacred, but the sacred thing itself can remain sacred even when treated with irreverence, so this is not the direct opposite quality.
4. Option D (Unholy): "Unholy" directly negates the very quality of being sacred or holy that "sacrosanct" asserts, making it the precise reverse of the word.
5. Option E: No text is provided for this option.

Since "sacrosanct" asserts that something is sacred and should not be interfered with, the word that directly negates that sacredness is "unholy."

Hence, the correct answer is (D) Unholy.