Vocabulary

🟢 Lite — Quick Review (1h–1d)

Rapid summary for last-minute revision before your exam.

Vocabulary — Key Facts for CLAT English • CLAT’s Vocabulary questions test word meanings, synonyms, antonyms, analogy, idioms, and phrasal verbs. The vocabulary section typically carries 10-15 marks out of 50 in the English paper. • Synonym: Find the word with the closest meaning to the given word. • Antonym: Find the word with the opposite meaning to the given word. • Analogy: Identify the relationship between two words, then find the pair with the same relationship. • Idioms: Fixed expressions where the meaning is not literal (e.g., “break the ice” = to initiate conversation). • Phrasal Verbs: Verb + particle combinations with idiomatic meanings (e.g., “put off” = postpone).

⚡ Exam Tip: For synonym/antonym questions in CLAT, use contextual clues from the sentence. If you don’t know the word, eliminate options that you do know the meaning of. For analogy questions, identify the specific relationship (part-whole, cause-effect, worker-tool, etc.) before matching.

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🟡 Standard — Regular Study (2d–2mo)

Standard content for students with a few days to months.

Vocabulary — CLAT Study Guide

Core Concept: CLAT vocabulary is not about obscure words — it tests commonly used words in academic and legal contexts. Words like “ubiquitous,” “pragmatic,” “equivocal,” “tenacious,” and “ephemeral” appear frequently. Understanding word roots, prefixes, and suffixes dramatically improves guessing accuracy.

Word Root System — Master List:

Root	Meaning	Example
bene-	good/well	benevolent, benefactor
mal-	bad	malicious, malfeasance
cred-	believe	credible, incredulous
doc-/doct-	teach	doctrine, docile
viv-/vit-	life	vivid, vital
mort-	death	mortal, mortify
gress-	walk/step	progress, egress
dict-	say	dictate, verdict
pend-	hang	depend, suspense
duc-/duct-	lead	induce, conduct
scrib-/script-	write	describe, prescription
jur-	law/swear	jury, jurisprudence

Worked Example 1 (Synonym — CLAT 2022 Pattern): Choose the synonym of “PALLIATIVE”:

• (a) Curative (b) Temptive (c) Soothing (d) Aggravating
• Answer: (c) Soothing — Palliative means providing relief from pain/symptoms without curing the underlying condition. “Curative” means tending to cure; “aggravating” means making worse.

Worked Example 2 (Antonym — CLAT 2021 Pattern): Choose the antonym of “TENACIOUS”:

• (a) Stubborn (b) Resolute (c) Loose (d) Persistent
• Answer: (c) Loose — Tenacious means holding firmly (stubborn, persistent). Antonym is “loose” or “yielding.”

Worked Example 3 (Analogy): “Gavel is to Judge” as “Scalpel is to ___”:

• (a) Doctor (b) Surgeon (c) Lawyer (d) Patient
• Relationship: Tool to Professional who uses it specifically (not just generally)
• Scalpel is used specifically by a Surgeon. Answer: (b)

Common Idioms for CLAT:

• “Cast aspersions on” = to make critical/sceptical remarks
• “In the quiver” = available as a resource
• “Bated breath” = with suspense
• “Caste/colour of law” = within the authority of law
• “Amicus curiae” = friend of the court (Latin legal term)

Common Student Mistakes: Confusing the meaning of similar-sounding words (e.g., “adapt” vs “adopt”), not reading the sentence context before selecting, and overthinking analogy questions by assigning multiple relationships.

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🔴 Extended — Deep Study (3mo+)

Comprehensive coverage for students on a longer study timeline.

Vocabulary — Comprehensive CLAT Notes

Theoretical Foundation: CLAT English tests vocabulary through five sub-types: Synonyms, Antonyms, Analogy, Idioms/Phrasal Verbs, and Fill-in-the-Blanks. The CLAT 2024 pattern introduced unseen passages with 5-6 comprehension questions each, where vocabulary in context (e.g., “ubiquitous” means “present everywhere”) is directly tested. Legal terminology is increasingly emphasised.

Detailed Analogy Relationships:

1. Part-Whole: Book → Library; Chapter → Book
2. Worker-Tool: Writer → Pen; Surgeon → Scalpel
3. Cause-Effect: Fire → Burn; Rain → Flood
4. Synonym-Antonym pair: Brave → Courageous; Brave → Cowardly
5. Object-Function: Knife → Cut; Pen → Write
6. Degree: Hot → Boiling; Cold → Freezing
7. Sequence: Pre → Post; Primary → Secondary
8. Associative: Doctor → Hospital; Teacher → School
9. Material-Product: Wood → Table; Wheat → Bread
10. Sexism/Gender pair: King → Queen; Actor → Actress

Legal Vocabulary — High Frequency for CLAT:

Term	Meaning
Amicus curiae	A person who advises the court voluntarily
Certiorari	An order by a higher court to lower court to send record
Habeas corpus	”You shall have the body” — protection against illegal detention
In camera	In private; in the judge’s chambers
Prima facie	At first appearance; on the face of it
Sub judice	Under judicial consideration; cannot be discussed publicly
Ex parte	One-sided; without the other party present
Plea bargaining	Negotiating with the prosecution for a lesser sentence
Injunction	A court order restraining a person from doing something
Mens rea	Guilty mind; criminal intent
Actus reus	Guilty act; the criminal act itself

Word Usage in Sentences (Contextual Clues):

• “The judge issued a permanent injunction against the factory to stop pollution.” → The word “permanent” signals the judge’s authoritative, non-negotiable order.
• “His argument seemed prima facie reasonable, but on closer examination, it fell apart.” → “Prima facie” = at first glance.

CLAT PYQ Pattern (2019-2024):

• 2024: Comprehension-based vocabulary (words in context) — 30% increase from previous years
• 2023: Direct synonym/antonym reduced; analogy and idiom questions increased
• 2022: 4 analogy, 3 idiom, 3 synonym, 2 phrasal verb questions
• Legal terms (amicus curiae, habeas corpus, prima facie) appear in every CLAT paper
• Most challenging: Multiple meaning words — “sanction” (to approve OR to penalise), “cultured” (educated OR grown in a lab)

Preparation Strategy: Build vocabulary through daily reading of editorials (The Hindu, Indian Express) which use CLAT-level words in context. Maintain a “word a day” notebook with root, suffix, example sentence, and synonyms. For idioms, focus on legal and administrative idioms, not literary ones.

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