09 September 2026 | FREE Editorial PDF

Word Power

Date: 09-Sep-2026

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All words from today’s editorials, in one place.

EDITORIAL 1: NATURAL PARTNERS: ON INDIA-BELGIUM TIES

Source: The Hindu

Vocabulary

Vocabs	Simple Meaning	Synonym	Antonym
Salience	The quality of being particularly noticeable or important	Prominence	Insignificance
Simple Example: India’s ties with European countries have now gained salience with several new focus areas.
Bilateral	Involving two parties or countries	Two-way	Unilateral
Simple Example: Bilateral trade opportunities topped the agenda in talks between the two Prime Ministers.
Diversify	To vary and expand the range of something	Expand	Restrict
Simple Example: India is seeking to diversify its defence procurement beyond a handful of global powers.
Procurement	The action of obtaining goods or services, especially for an organisation	Acquisition	Disposal
Simple Example: India is seeking to diversify its defence procurement beyond global powers.
Inroads	Progress achieved in a difficult or competitive situation	Advances	Setbacks
Simple Example: Belgium’s high-tech defence industry is keen to make inroads in the Indian market.
Complementing	Completing or enhancing by supplying something additional	Supplementing	Clashing
Simple Example: India will appoint a resident defence attache to Brussels, complementing Belgium’s own move.
Autonomy	The right or condition of self-government; independence	Independence	Dependence
Simple Example: Europe is realising the truth of India’s warnings on strategic autonomy from global powers.
Enmity	The state of being actively opposed or hostile to someone; deep hatred	Hostility	Amity
Simple Example: The visit shows that shared ties can outweigh even Europe’s enmity towards Moscow.
Robust	Strong and healthy; vigorous	Strong	Fragile
Simple Example: Belgium has a robust high-tech defence industry despite being surrounded by friendly allies.
Maturity	The state of being fully developed physically, mentally or emotionally	Sophistication	Immaturity
Simple Example: The engagement with Belgium demonstrates a new maturity for both European countries and India.

Idioms

No idioms found in the editorial.

EDITORIAL 2: GROUND CONTROL: ON ISRO, POLICY AND ITS FOCUS

Source: The Hindu

Vocabulary

Vocabs	Simple Meaning	Synonym	Antonym
Irony	A state of affairs that seems deliberately contrary to what one expects	Paradox	Straightforwardness
Simple Example: The irony was evident on the very day ISRO achieved its greatest success of the year.
Grievance	A real or imagined wrong causing resentment and regarded as grounds for complaint	Complaint	Commendation
Simple Example: This grievance among ISRO’s employees was long in the making, the editorial notes.
Outsourcing	The practice of having certain job functions done by an outside party rather than in-house	Contracting-out	Insourcing
Simple Example: The letter sought clarity on staff-strength, recruitment and the outsourcing of core functions.
Enamoured	Filled with love and admiration for; infatuated with	Infatuated	Indifferent
Simple Example: ISRO’s founding principles call for it not to be enamoured of space races.
Mushrooming	Growing or multiplying rapidly	Proliferating	Dwindling
Simple Example: A mushrooming of ‘space startups’ may be shaping ISRO’s new sense of purpose.
Bedrock	The fundamental principles on which something is based	Foundation	Periphery
Simple Example: ISRO’s founding principles have long formed the bedrock of its vision, the editorial notes.
Reckoning	The action or process of calculating, assessing or settling accounts	Assessment	Disregard
Simple Example: There is yet no serious reckoning with the might of China’s space programme.
Foolhardy	Recklessly bold or rash	Reckless	Prudent
Simple Example: Jumping onto the space bandwagon purely for prestige, the editorial warns, would be foolhardy.
Transparent	Open, frank and easy to understand or perceive	Candid	Opaque
Simple Example: ISRO must have a transparent policy that spells out its long-term direction.
Static	Lacking movement, action or change, especially in an undesirable way	Stagnant	Dynamic
Simple Example: No sector, the editorial notes, can hope to remain static.

Idioms

Idiom	Actual Meaning	Simple Meaning
Jump on the bandwagon	To join a growing trend or activity mainly because it is currently popular or successful, not out of genuine conviction	Following a popular trend just because everyone else is doing it

EDITORIAL 3: IN SATYA NIKETAN, NOT JUST A BUILDING COLLAPSE — GOVERNANCE IS FAILING ASPIRATIONS

Source: The Indian Express

Vocabulary

Vocabs	Simple Meaning	Synonym	Antonym
Grievous	(Of an injury) very severe or serious	Severe	Minor
Simple Example: The Satya Niketan collapse inflicted grievous injuries on several others, the editorial notes.
Inured	Accustomed to something unpleasant, so as no longer to be affected by it	Hardened	Sensitised
Simple Example: It is a routine story of a capital’s shame to which all are inured, the editorial notes.
Unauthorised	Not officially permitted	Illicit	Sanctioned
Simple Example: The absence of an emergency exit and unauthorised construction were both flagged, the editorial notes.
Abysmally	Extremely badly; to a hopeless degree	Appallingly	Admirably
Simple Example: Hostels and paying-guest accommodation have proven to be of poor quality and abysmally inadequate.
Magnet	A person or thing that has a powerful attraction	Attraction	Repellent
Simple Example: Delhi University is a magnet for talent from across the nation, the editorial notes.
Choked	Filled to capacity; obstructed	Clogged	Cleared
Simple Example: Satya Niketan became one of the capital’s most densely populated student hubs, choked with tangled overhead wires.
Waterlogged	Saturated with or full of water	Flooded	Dry
Simple Example: The neighbourhood is choked with tangled overhead wires and waterlogged lanes, the editorial notes.
Caveats	Warnings or provisos of specific stipulations, conditions or limitations	Provisos	Assurances
Simple Example: Four building collapses in 15 years show these caveats were given short shrift.
Seamlessly	Smoothly and continuously, with no apparent gaps or problems	Smoothly	Haltingly
Simple Example: The Centre can arguably deliver most seamlessly on pledges of ‘double engine’ governance.
Hollow	Lacking real substance, worth or significance; empty	Empty	Genuine
Simple Example: Speeches about supporting young citizens’ dreams risk taking on a hollow ring without real work.

Idioms

Idiom	Actual Meaning	Simple Meaning
Cut corners	To do something in the easiest or cheapest way, often sacrificing quality or breaking rules	Doing something the cheap or easy way by skipping proper steps
Short shrift	Dismissive and unsympathetic treatment; little attention or consideration	Given little care or attention

EDITORIAL 4: IN SATIRE, A MORE NOBLE PRIZE

Source: The Indian Express

Vocabulary

Vocabs	Simple Meaning	Synonym	Antonym
Coveted	Greatly desired or sought after	Prized	Unwanted
Simple Example: Take the Nobel Prize, arguably the most coveted honour across disciplines, the editorial notes.
Infamous	Well known for some bad quality or deed	Notorious	Reputable
Simple Example: The Nobel Prize, despite its infamous acts of omission and commission, continues to carry a halo.
Lampoons	Publicly criticises someone or something using ridicule, irony or sarcasm	Satirises	Praises
Simple Example: The Ig Nobel Prize gently lampoons the pretensions of its famous, more serious counterpart.
Obnoxious	Extremely unpleasant	Objectionable	Agreeable
Simple Example: Psychologists have shown that rich people are indeed more obnoxious and entitled, the editorial notes.
Entitled	Believing oneself to be inherently deserving of privileges or special treatment	Presumptuous	Humble
Simple Example: Rich people, the awarded research found, are indeed more obnoxious and entitled.
Quotidian	Of or occurring every day; ordinary	Everyday	Extraordinary
Simple Example: The quotidian research the Ig Nobel Prize rewards strikes a chord, the editorial notes.
Boorish	Rough and bad-mannered; coarse	Uncouth	Refined
Simple Example: In an era of war and boorish leaders, a brief chuckle is welcome, the editorial notes.
Nobility	The quality of having fine personal qualities or high moral principles	Dignity	Baseness
Simple Example: There is a quiet nobility to the Ig Nobel Prize, the pun in the name notwithstanding.
Enduring	Continuing or lasting over a long period of time	Lasting	Fleeting
Simple Example: Friendships based on the pettiness of mutual enmity, the peace-prize research found, can be enduring.
Omission	Something that has been left out or excluded	Exclusion	Inclusion
Simple Example: The Nobel Prize’s infamous acts of omission include overlooking Mahatma Gandhi.

Idioms

Idiom	Actual Meaning	Simple Meaning
Strike a chord	To evoke a feeling of familiarity, sympathy or recognition in someone	To remind someone of something and make them feel a connection to it

EDITORIAL 5: CONSCIOUS AI AND THE ETHICS OF A MACHINE THAT FEELS

Source: The Indian Express

Vocabulary

Vocabs	Simple Meaning	Synonym	Antonym
Sparked	Caused the start of, especially a strong reaction	Triggered	Quelled
Simple Example: This is the question sparked by the revelation of Claude’s internal thought process, the editorial notes.
Revelation	A surprising and previously unknown fact that is disclosed to others	Disclosure	Concealment
Simple Example: The revelation that the AI chatbot may have an internal thought process sparked the debate.
Invisible	Unable to be seen; not visible to the eye	Imperceptible	Visible
Simple Example: Words connected to the eventual output remain invisible to the user, the editorial notes.
Comparable	Similar enough in relevant respects to allow comparison	Analogous	Incomparable
Simple Example: Anthropic has argued that this internal pattern is comparable to the workspace of the human brain.
Mimicking	Imitating someone or something closely	Replicating	Originating
Simple Example: The closer AI gets to mimicking the actual workings of the human brain, the editorial notes.
Eventuality	A possible event or outcome	Contingency	Impossibility
Simple Example: Bio-hybrid computers only bring this eventuality of conscious AI closer, the editorial notes.
Assertions	Confident and forceful statements of fact or belief	Claims	Denials
Simple Example: Assertions about the possibility of conscious AI are often made based on evidence of its intelligence.
Subjective	Based on or influenced by personal feelings or opinions rather than objective facts	Personal	Objective
Simple Example: Consciousness, the editorial notes, comes down to subjective experience.
Uncharted	(Of a subject or area of activity) not explored or recorded; unfamiliar	Unexplored	Familiar
Simple Example: The frontiers of the technology are being pushed into uncharted terrain, the editorial notes.
Startling	Surprising or astonishing in a way that startles	Astonishing	Unsurprising
Simple Example: This development gestures to the startling possibility that machines with consciousness may be real.

Idioms

No idioms found in the editorial.

Test Yourself — 5 Questions

Answer all before you scroll down — then comment your score below!

Q1. These have now gained SALIENCE with several new focus areas for India, the editorial notes. Select the option that is the closest synonym of the word given in capitals as used in the passage.

(A) Prominence   (B) Insignificance   (C) Obscurity   (D) Triviality   (E) Irrelevance

Answer: A

Meaning: Salience means the quality of being particularly noticeable or important. Logic: ‘Prominence’ is its closest synonym. Elimination: Insignificance, Obscurity, Triviality and Irrelevance all denote a lack of importance, the opposite sense.

Q2. (A) On the day ISRO had its greatest success of the year, the launch of its first geosynchronous imaging satellite on a temperamental GSLV, its employee organisations demands clarity on its long-term plans, / (B) the letter, co-signed by nine employee associations, and addressed to the chairman, seeks clarity on staff-strength, recruitment and the outsourcing of core functions, / (C) with a budget 16 times the Department of Space’s, NASA too has scaled back since the 1960s, from 0.7% of American GDP in 1966 to 0.1% now, / (D) unlike NASA, which in its early years designed and made every nut and bolt, ISRO has always had a manufacturing relationship with the private sector. Identify the segment containing the grammatical error.

(A) (A)   (B) (B)   (C) (C)   (D) (D)   (E) No error

Answer: A

Meaning: subject-verb agreement error. Logic: the plural subject ‘its employee organisations’ requires ‘demand’, not ‘demands’. Elimination: segments B, C and D are grammatically correct.

Q3. The Satya Niketan collapse inflicted GRIEVOUS injuries on several others, the editorial notes. Select the option that is the closest synonym of the word given in capitals as used in the passage.

(A) Minor   (B) Trivial   (C) Severe   (D) Superficial   (E) Negligible

Answer: C

Meaning: Grievous means (of an injury) very severe or serious. Logic: ‘Severe’ is its closest synonym. Elimination: Minor, Trivial, Superficial and Negligible all denote a small degree, the opposite sense.

Q4. (A) Belgium is not one of India’s most important partners in terms of size and engagement, but the visit of the Belgian Prime Minister to Delhi is part of a larger puzzle of India’s ties with European countries, / (B) bilateral trade opportunities once the India-European Union Free Trade Agreement is signed were at the top of the agenda in talks between the two Prime Ministers, / (C) India-Belgium trade stand at about $13 billion, a third of which comes from over a century of collaboration in the diamond industry, / (D) the two sides agreed on an MoU for co-development of military hardware, and signed a letter of intent on defence cooperation. Identify the segment containing the grammatical error.

(A) (A)   (B) (B)   (C) (C)   (D) (D)   (E) No error

Answer: C

Meaning: subject-verb agreement error. Logic: the singular subject ‘India-Belgium trade’ requires ‘trade stands’, not ‘trade stand’. Elimination: segments A, B and D are grammatically correct.

Q5. Some see a ______ of ‘space startups’ as the real bedrock of ISRO’s new vision, the editorial notes. Select the option that best fits the blank in the sentence.

(A) dwindling   (B) shrinking   (C) vanishing   (D) diminishing   (E) mushrooming

Answer: E

Meaning: Mushrooming means growing or multiplying rapidly. Logic: ‘mushrooming’ fits the sense of startups rapidly increasing in number. Elimination: dwindling, shrinking, vanishing and diminishing all describe a decrease, the opposite sense.

How many did you get right? Comment your score below — we read every one!

Quick Recap — Today’s Words

Salience (Prominence) | Bilateral (Two-way) | Diversify (Expand) | Procurement (Acquisition) | Inroads (Advances) | Complementing (Supplementing) | Autonomy (Independence) | Enmity (Hostility) | Robust (Strong) | Maturity (Sophistication) | Irony (Paradox) | Grievance (Complaint) | Outsourcing (Contracting-out) | Enamoured (Infatuated) | Mushrooming (Proliferating) | Bedrock (Foundation) | Reckoning (Assessment) | Foolhardy (Reckless) | Transparent (Candid) | Static (Stagnant) | Grievous (Severe) | Inured (Hardened) | Unauthorised (Illicit) | Abysmally (Appallingly) | Magnet (Attraction) | Choked (Clogged) | Waterlogged (Flooded) | Caveats (Provisos) | Seamlessly (Smoothly) | Hollow (Empty) | Coveted (Prized) | Infamous (Notorious) | Lampoons (Satirises) | Obnoxious (Objectionable) | Entitled (Presumptuous) | Quotidian (Everyday) | Boorish (Uncouth) | Nobility (Dignity) | Enduring (Lasting) | Omission (Exclusion) | Sparked (Triggered) | Revelation (Disclosure) | Invisible (Imperceptible) | Comparable (Analogous) | Mimicking (Replicating) | Eventuality (Contingency) | Assertions (Claims) | Subjective (Personal) | Uncharted (Unexplored) | Startling (Astonishing)

Idioms: Jump on the bandwagon, Cut corners, Short shrift, Strike a chord

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