Question

The company was liquidated within five years. Choose the opposite meaning to the underlined word:

• A. Bankrupt
• B. Closed down
• C. Flourishing
• D. Privatised

Hint:

When looking for antonyms in business contexts, look for words that indicate growth and prosperity as opposites to words indicating dissolution, bankruptcy, or closure.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
To solve antonym-based vocabulary questions, we must first analyze the contextual meaning of the underlined word in the sentence.
The term "liquidated" refers to the process of winding up a company's affairs, dissolving its operations, and converting its assets into cash to pay off creditors and liabilities.
Therefore, the opposite meaning must represent a state of financial success, growth, and prosperity.

Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
Let us examine the meanings of all the given options to find the most suitable antonym:
- Bankrupt: This is a state of being legally declared unable to pay outstanding debts.
Since bankruptcy is often the direct cause of a company being liquidated, this is a synonym rather than an antonym.
- Closed down: This means to stop operating or cease business activities permanently.
This is a direct synonym of liquidated in a business context.
- Flourishing: This describes a state of growing vigorously, thriving, and being highly successful or prosperous.
A flourishing company is the exact opposite of a liquidated company, as it is expanding and generating profit rather than shutting down and dissolving its assets.
- Privatised: This refers to transferring a business, industry, or service from public (government) ownership and control to private ownership.
This term describes ownership structure rather than the operational viability or closure of a business.
Thus, "Flourishing" is the most appropriate opposite meaning for the word "liquidated."

Step 3: Final Answer:
The opposite meaning of "liquidated" is "Flourishing."