Select the word which means the following:
The practice of having several husbands at the same time.
a) polygamy
b) polyandry
c) polytheism
d) polyglot
VerifiedHint: All of these options have completely different meanings. Understand their meanings. They start with different suffixes. Find the suffix that refers to ‘husbands’. This will lead you to the correct answer
Complete solution:
In grammar, a substitute is used as a one-word replacement to refer to a word that functions as a kind of substitution for the original word. In the given sentence, this phrase refers to having more than one husband at any given time. This practice can be replaced by a specific word.
Now, we know the meaning and usage of the given phrase. Let’s go through each of the options-
a) polygamy - The word ‘polygamy’ means the practise or custom of having more than one wife or husband at the same time. It does not have the same meaning as ‘the practice of having several husbands at the same time. This could not replace the given phrase, as it would change the meaning. This is not the required answer. So, this is an incorrect option.
b) polyandry - The word ‘polyandry’ refers to ‘polygamy in which a woman has more than one husband’. This word has the same meaning as ‘the practice of having several husbands at the same time’ given phrase. It could replace the given phrase without changing the meaning. This is the required answer. So, this is the correct option.
c) polytheism - The word ‘polytheism’ refers to ‘the belief in or worship of more than one god'. It does not have the same meaning as the practice of having several husbands at the same time. This could not replace the given phrase, as it would change the meaning. This is not the required answer. So, this is an incorrect option.
d) polyglot - The word ‘polyglot’ refers to ‘knowing or using several languages. It does not have the same meaning as the practice of having several husbands at the same time. This could not replace the given phrase, as it would change the meaning. This is not the required answer. So, this is an incorrect option.
Hence, the correct answer is option ‘b’.
Note: Try to identify the meanings of the given options and then, understand the meaning of the given phrase. The phrase refers to very specific situations. Go through the given options and find the correct option accordingly.
