Question:
Identify the most appropriate word which is similar to the underlined word in the following sentence:
The first day at the new school is always a MOMENTOUS day for the students.
Identify the most appropriate word which is similar to the underlined word in the following sentence:
The first day at the new school is always a MOMENTOUS day for the students.
The first day at the new school is always a MOMENTOUS day for the students.
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Do not confuse “momentous” (greatly significant important) with “momentary” (lasting only a brief moment).
Updated On: Sep 4, 2026
- Emotional
- Melancholic
- Sentimental
- Important
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Verified By Collegedunia
The Correct Option is D
Solution and Explanation
Concept:
Contextual vocabulary evaluation requires understanding the semantic weight and precise denotation of a target word within a given sentence. The adjective “momentous” is derived from the noun “moment” in its older sense of “weight, force, or consequence”. It refers to occasions, decisions, or milestones of tremendous significance that exert a lasting influence on future developments. It is vital to distinguish “momentous” (meaning monumental or epoch-making) from “momentary” (meaning brief or fleeting), as well as from purely affective adjectives describing emotional responses.
Step 1: Detailed Lexical Analysis of the Underlined Word:
- Momentous: Signifies of great importance, gravity, or consequence, especially in having a permanent bearing on future events; historically significant or pivotal. In the given sentence, a child's first day at a new school represents a landmark life event.
Step 2: Evaluation of Options:
- (A) Emotional: Arousing or characterized by intense internal feelings; while a momentous event may evoke emotions, the word itself does not denote significance.
- (B) Melancholic: Characterized by deep, sorrowful, or pensive sadness; contextually unfitting.
- (C) Sentimental: Prompted by nostalgic feelings of tenderness or affection rather than reason.
- (D) Important: Marked by great value, significance, rank, or consequence. This captures the exact denotation of “momentous”.
Step 3: Final Answer:
The synonym that best reflects the meaning of “MOMENTOUS” in this context is “Important”, which is Option (D).
Contextual vocabulary evaluation requires understanding the semantic weight and precise denotation of a target word within a given sentence. The adjective “momentous” is derived from the noun “moment” in its older sense of “weight, force, or consequence”. It refers to occasions, decisions, or milestones of tremendous significance that exert a lasting influence on future developments. It is vital to distinguish “momentous” (meaning monumental or epoch-making) from “momentary” (meaning brief or fleeting), as well as from purely affective adjectives describing emotional responses.
Step 1: Detailed Lexical Analysis of the Underlined Word:
- Momentous: Signifies of great importance, gravity, or consequence, especially in having a permanent bearing on future events; historically significant or pivotal. In the given sentence, a child's first day at a new school represents a landmark life event.
Step 2: Evaluation of Options:
- (A) Emotional: Arousing or characterized by intense internal feelings; while a momentous event may evoke emotions, the word itself does not denote significance.
- (B) Melancholic: Characterized by deep, sorrowful, or pensive sadness; contextually unfitting.
- (C) Sentimental: Prompted by nostalgic feelings of tenderness or affection rather than reason.
- (D) Important: Marked by great value, significance, rank, or consequence. This captures the exact denotation of “momentous”.
Step 3: Final Answer:
The synonym that best reflects the meaning of “MOMENTOUS” in this context is “Important”, which is Option (D).
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