One word Substitution is one of the integral parts of vocabulary. It simply means that a sentence has to be replaced with a single word. This area requires a good vocabulary to solve the questions well.
Questions based on one word substitution are often asked in various competitive exams.
In this article, we are sharing a list of most important and frequently asked one word substitutions for various competitive examinations like SSC, Bank, Etc.
- For “Individual Character/ Person/ People”
- For “Collection/ Group”
- For “Research/ Profession”
- For “Spot/ Venue”
- For “Government/ Systems”
- For “Murder/ Death”
- For “Sound”
- For Competitive Exam Related to “Generic Terms”
| S.No. | PHRASE ONE WORD | ONE WORD |
| One Word Substitution List For “Individual Character/ Person/ People” | ||
| 1 | One who is not sure about God’s existence Agnostic | Agnostic |
| 2 | A person who deliberately sets fire to a building | Arsonist |
| 3 | One who does a thing for pleasure and not as a profession | Amateur |
| 4 | One who can use either hand with ease | Ambidextrous |
| 5 | One who makes an official examination of accounts | Auditor |
| 6 | A person who believes in or tries to bring about a state of lawlessness | Anarchist |
| 7 | A person who has changed his faith | Apostate |
| 8 | One who does not believe in the existence of God | Atheist |
| 9 | A person appointed by two parties to solve a dispute | Arbitrator |
| 10 | One who leads an austere life | Ascetic |
| 11 | One who does a thing for pleasure and not as a profession | Amateur |
| 12 | One who can either hand with ease | Ambidextrous |
| 13 | An unconventional style of living | Bohemian |
| 14 | One who is bad in spellings | Cacographer |
| 15 | One who feeds on human flesh | Cannibal |
| 16 | A person who is blindly devoted to an idea/ A person displaying aggressive or exaggerated patriotism | Chauvinist |
| 17 | A critical judge of any art and craft | Connoisseur |
| 18 | Persons living at the same time | Contemporaries |
| 19 | One who is recovering health after illness | Convalescent |
| 20 | A girl/woman who flirts with man | Coquette |
| 21 | A person who regards the whole world as his country | Cosmopolitan |
| 22 | One who is a centre of attraction | Cynosure |
| 23 | One who sneers at the beliefs of others | Cynic |
| 24 | A leader or orator who espoused the cause of the common people | Demagogue |
| 25 | A person having a sophisticated charm | Debonair |
| 26 | A leader who sways his followers by his oratory | Demagogue |
| 27 | A dabbler (not serious) in art, science and literature | Dilettante |
| 28 | One who is for pleasure of eating and drinking | Epicure |
| 29 | One who often talks of his achievements | Egotist |
| 30 | Someone who leaves one country to settle in another | Emigrant |
| 31 | A man who is womanish in his habits | Effeminate |
| 32 | One hard to please (very selective in his habits) | Fastidious |
| 33 | One who runs away from justice | Fugitive |
| 34 | One who is filled with excessive enthusiasm in religious matters | Fanatic |
| 35 | One who believes in fate | Fatalist |
| 36 | A lover of good food | Gourmand |
| 37 | Conferred as an honour | Honorary |
| 38 | A person who acts against religion | Heretic |
| 39 | A person of intellectual or erudite tastes | Highbrow |
| 40 | A patient with imaginary symptoms and ailments | Hypochondriac |
| 41 | A person who is controlled by wife | Henpeck |
| 42 | One who shows sustained enthusiastic action with unflagging vitality | Indefatigable |
| 43 | Someone who attacks cherished ideas or traditional institutions | Iconoclast |
| 44 | One who does not express himself freely | Introvert |
| 45 | Who behaves without moral principles | Immoral |
| 46 | A person who is incapable of being tampered with | Impregnable |
| 47 | One who is unable to pay his debts | Insolvent |
| 48 | A person who is mentally ill | Lunatic |
| 49 | A person who dislikes humankind and avoids human society | Misanthrope |
| 50 | A person who primarily concerned with making money at the expense of ethics | Mercenary |
| 51 | Someone in love with himself | Narcissist |
| 52 | One who collect coins as hobby | Numismatist |
| 53 | A person who likes or admires women | Philogynist |
| 54 | A lover of mankind | Philanthropist |
| 55 | A person who speaks more than one language | Polyglot |
| 56 | One who lives in solitude | Recluse |
| 57 | Someone who walks in sleep | Somnambulist |
| 58 | A person who is indifferent to the pains and pleasures of life | Stoic |
| 59 | A scolding nagging bad-tempered woman | Termagant |
| 60 | A person who shows a great or excessive fondness for one’s wife | Uxorious |
| 61 | One who possesses outstanding technical ability in a particular art or field | Virtuoso |
| One Word Substitution List For “Collection/ Group” | ||
| 62 | A group of guns or missile launchers operated together at one place | Battery |
| 63 | A large bundle bound for storage or transport | Bale |
| 64 | A large gathering of people of a particular type | Bevy |
| 65 | An arrangement of flowers that is usually given as a present | Bouquet |
| 66 | A family of young animals | Brood |
| 67 | A group of things that have been hidden in a secret place | Cache |
| 68 | A group of people, typically with vehicles or animals travelling together | Caravan |
| 69 | A closed political meeting | Caucus |
| 70 | An exclusive circle of people with a common purpose | Clique |
| 71 | A group of followers hired to applaud at a performance | Claque |
| 72 | A series of stars | Constellation |
| 73 | A funeral procession | Cortege |
| 74 | A group of worshippers | Congregation |
| 75 | A herd or flock of animals being driven in a body | Drove |
| 76 | A small fleet of ships or boats | Flotilla |
| 77 | A small growth of trees without underbrush | Grove |
| 78 | A community of people smaller than a village | Hamlet |
| 79 | A group of cattle or sheep or other domestic mammals | Herd |
| 80 | A large group of people | Horde |
| 81 | A temporary police force | Posse |
| 82 | A large number of fish swimming together | Shoal |
| 83 | A strong and fast-moving stream of water or other liquid | Torrent |
| One Word Substitution List For “Research/ Profession” | ||
| 84 | The medieval forerunner of chemistry | Alchemy |
| 85 | A person who presents a radio/television programme | Ancho |
| 86 | One who studies the evolution of mankind | Anthropologist |
| 87 | A person who is trained to travel in a spacecraft | Astronaut |
| 88 | The scientific study of the physiology, structure, genetics, ecology, distribution, classification, and economic importance of plants | Botany |
| 89 | A person who draws or produces maps | Cartographer |
| 90 | A person who writes beautiful writing | Calligrapher |
| 91 | A person who composes the sequence of steps and moves for a performance of dance | Choreographer |
| 92 | A person employed to drive a private or hired car | Chauffeur |
| 93 | A person who introduces the performers or contestants in a variety show | Compere |
| 94 | A keeper or custodian of a museum or other collection | Curator |
| 95 | The branch of biology concerned with cyclical physiological phenomena | Chronobiology |
| 96 | A secret or disguised way of writing | Cypher |
| 97 | The study of statistics | Demography |
| 98 | The use of the fingers and hands to communicate and convey ideas | Dactylology |
| 99 | A person who sells and arranges cut flowers | Florist |
| 100 | A line of descent traced continuously from an ancestor | Genealogy |
| 101 | The therapeutic use of sunlight | Heliotherapy |
| 102 | The art or practice of garden cultivation and management | Horticulture |
| 103 | One who supervises in the examination hall | Invigilator |
| 104 | The theory or philosophy of law | Jurisprudence |
| 105 | A person who compiles dictionarie | Lexicographer |
| 106 | The scientific study of the structure and diseases of teeth | Odontology |
| 107 | One who presents a radio programme | Radio Jockey |
| 108 | The art of effective or persuasive speaking or writing | Rhetoric |
| 109 | The branch of science concerned with the origin, structure, and composition of rocks | Petrology |
| 110 | One who study the elections and trends in voting | Psephologist |
| 111 | An artist who makes sculptures. | Sculptor |
| 112 | The scientific study of the behaviour, structure, physiology, classification, and distribution of animals | Zoology |
| One Word Substitution List For “Spot/ Venue” | ||
| 113 | A collection of historical documents or records providing information about a place, institution, or group of people | Archive |
| 114 | A large cage, building, or enclosure for keeping birds in | Aviary |
| 115 | A building where animals are butchered | Abattoir |
| 116 | A place where bees are kept; a collection of beehives | Apiary |
| 117 | A building containing tanks of live fish of different species | Aquarium |
| 118 | A place or scene of activity, debate, or conflict | Arena |
| 119 | A collection of weapons and military equipment | Arsenal |
| 120 | An institution for the care of people who are mentally ill | Asylum |
| 121 | A hole or tunnel dug by a small animal, especially a rabbit, as a dwelling | Burrow |
| 122 | A collection of items of the same type stored in a hidden or inaccessible place | Cache |
| 123 | A public room or building where gambling games are played | Casino |
| 124 | A large burial ground, especially one not in a churchyard | Cemetery |
| 125 | A room in a public building where outdoor clothes or luggage may be left | Cloakroom |
| 126 | A place where a dead person’s body is cremated | Crematorium |
| 127 | a Christian community of nuns living together under monastic vows | Convent |
| 128 | Nursery where babies and young children are cared for during the working day | Creche |
| 129 | A stoppered glass container into which wine or spirit is decanted | Decanter |
| 130 | A large bedroom for a number of people in a school or institution | Dormitory |
| 131 | The nest of a squirrel, typically in the form of a mass of twigs in a tree | Drey |
| 132 | A room or building equipped for gymnastics, games, and other physical exercise | Gymnasium |
| 133 | A storehouse for threshed grain | Granary |
| 134 | A large building with an extensive floor area, typically for housing aircraft. | Hangar |
| 135 | A box or cage, typically with a wire mesh front, for keeping rabbits or other small domesticated animals | Hutch |
| 136 | A place in a large institution for the care of those who are ill | Infirmary |
| 137 | A small shelter for a dog | Kennel |
| 138 | A place where wild animal live | Lair |
| 139 | A place where coins, medals, or tokens are made | Mint |
| 140 | A collection of wild animals kept in captivity for exhibition | Menagerie |
| 141 | A building or buildings occupied by a community of monks living under religious vows | Monastery |
| 142 | A place where bodies are kept for identification | Morgue |
| 143 | A piece of enclosed land planted with fruit trees | Orchard |
| 144 | A large natural or artificial lake used as a source of water supply | Reservoir |
| 145 | A small kitchen or room at the back of a house used for washing dishes and another dirty household work | Scullery |
| 146 | A close-fitting cover for the blade of a knife or sword | Sheath |
| 147 | A room or building for sick children in a boarding school | Sanatorium |
| 148 | A place where animal hides are tanned | Tannery |
| 149 | A large, tall cupboard in which clothes may be hung or stored | Wardrobe |
| One Word Substitution List For “Government/ Systems” | ||
| 150 | A state of disorder due to absence or nonrecognition of authority or other controlling systems | Anarchy |
| 151 | A form of government in which power is held by the nobility | Aristocracy |
| 152 | A system of government by one person with absolute power | Autocracy |
| 153 | A self-governing country or region | Autonomy |
| 154 | A system of government in which most of the important decisions are taken by state officials rather than by elected representatives | Bureaucracy |
| 155 | A system of government by the whole population or all the eligible members of a state, typically through elected representatives | Democracy |
| 156 | A state, society, or group governed by old people | Gerontocracy |
| 157 | A state or country run by the worst, least qualified, or most unscrupulous citizens | Kakistocracy |
| 158 | Government by new or inexperienced hands | Neocracy |
| 159 | Government by the populace | Ochlocracy |
| 160 | A small group of people having control of a country or organization | Oligarchy |
| 161 | Government by the wealthy | Plutocracy |
| 162 | Government not connected with religious or spiritual matters | Secular |
| 163 | A form of government with a monarch at the head | Monarchy |
| 164 | A political system based on government of men by God | Thearchy |
| One Word Substitution List For “Fear/ Phobia” | ||
| 165 | An extreme or irrational fear of heights | Acrophobia |
| 166 | An irrational fear of fresh air or drafts of air | Aerophobia |
| 167 | Fear of being egotistical, being alone or isolated | Autophobia |
| 168 | A phobia of pain | Algophobia |
| 169 | An abnormal fear of heights | Altophobia |
| 170 | An emotional disorder characterized by an obsessive desire to lose weight by refusing to eat | Anorexia |
| 171 | An extreme or irrational fear of open or public places | Agoraphobia |
| 172 | An abnormal and persistent fear of depths | Bathophobia |
| 173 | Fear or hatred of books | Bibliophobia |
| 174 | Fear of ugliness and things that are ugly | Cacophobia |
| 175 | A dislike of being in the centre | Centrophobia |
| 176 | An extreme fear about beauty | Cellophobia |
| 177 | Fear of time | Chronophobia |
| 178 | Fear of dogs | Cynophobia |
| 179 | An extreme or irrational fear of confined places | Claustrophobia |
| 180 | A delusion of being possessed by evil spirits | Demonomania |
| 181 | An abnormal and persistent fear of drinking alcohol | Dipsophobia |
| 182 | An abnormal and persistent fear of work or finding employment | Ergophobia |
| 183 | Fear of getting married, being in a relationship, or commitment | Gamophobia |
| 184 | Physical or psychological fear of sexual relations or sexual intercourse | Genophobia |
| 185 | Fear of old age | Geraphobia |
| 186 | Fear of knowledge | Gnosiophobia |
| 187 | Fear of women | Gynaephobia |
| 188 | Fear of writing or handwriting | Graphophobia |
| 189 | An irrational and intense fear of travel | Hodophobia |
| 190 | An excessive fear or aversion to obtaining pleasure | Hedonophobia |
| 191 | Fear of disease | Haemetophobia |
| 192 | An obsessive fear of words | Logophobia |
| 193 | An extreme fear of wind or drafts | Menemophobia |
| 194 | An extreme or irrational fear of the night or of darkness | Nyctophobia |
| 195 | Fear of medication | Pharamacophobia |
| 196 | Fear of death | Thanatophobia |
| 197 | Extreme superstition regarding the number thirteen | Triskaidekaphobia |
| One Word Substitution List For “Murder/ Death” | ||
| 198 | A solemn procession, especially for a funeral | Cortege |
| 199 | A poem of serious reflection, typically a lament for the dead | Elegy |
| 200 | A phrase or form of words written in memory of a person who has died | Epitaph |
| 201 | Killing of one’s son or daughter | Filicide |
| 202 | Destruction or abortion of a fetus | Foeticide |
| 203 | Killing of one’s brother or sister | Fratricide |
| 204 | Killing of a large group of people | Genocide |
| 205 | Killing of one person by another | Homicide |
| 206 | Killing of infants | Infanticide |
| 207 | Burial of a corpse in a grave or tomb | Interment |
| 208 | Killing of one’s mother | Matricide |
| 209 | A room or building in which dead bodies are kept | Mortuary |
| 210 | A news article that reports the recent death of a person | Obituary |
| 211 | Killing of a parent or other near relative | Parricide |
| 212 | Killing of one’s father | Patricide |
| 213 | An examination of a dead body to determine the cause of death | Postmortem |
| 214 | Action of killing a king | Regicide |
| 215 | Killing of one’s sister | Sororicide |
| 216 | Act of intentionally causing one’s own death | Suicide |
| 217 | Killing of one’s wife | Uxoricide |
| One Word Substitution List For “Sound” | ||
| 218 | The branch of physics concerned with the properties of sound | Acoustics |
| 219 | The sound of Alligators | Bellow |
| 220 | The sound of Deers | Bell |
| 221 | The sound of Crows | Caw |
| 222 | The sound of Geese | Cackle |
| 223 | The sound of Hens | Cluck |
| 224 | The sound of Dolphins | Click |
| 225 | The sound of Frogs | Croak |
| 226 | The sound of Crickets | Creak |
| 227 | The sound of Monkeys | Gibber |
| 228 | The sound of Camels | Grunt |
| 229 | The sound of Owls | Hoot |
| 230 | The sound of Penguins | Honk |
| 231 | The sound of Cattle | Moo |
| 232 | The sound of Horses | Neigh |
| 233 | The sound of Nightingales | Pipe |
| 234 | The sound of Ducks | Quack |
| 235 | The sound of Parrots | Screech |
| 236 | The sound of Rats | Squeak |
| 237 | The sound of Birds | |
| 238 | The sound of Elephants | Trumpet |
| 239 | The sound of Mosquitoes | Whine |
| One Word Substitution List For Competitive Exam Related to “Generic Terms” | ||
| 240 | An act of abdicating or renouncing the throne | Abdication |
| 241 | An annual calendar containing important dates and statistical information such as astronomical data and tide tables | Almanac |
| 242 | A cold-blooded vertebrate animal that is born in water and breathes with gills | Amphibian |
| 243 | A story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically a moral or political one | Allegory |
| 244 | A statement or proposition on which an abstractly defined structure is based | Axiom |
| 245 | A nation or person engaged in war or conflict, as recognized by international law | Belligerent |
| 246 | An examination of tissue removed from a living body to discover the presence, cause, or extent of a disease | Biopsy |
| 247 | The action or offence of speaking sacrilegiously about God or sacred things; profane talk | Blasphemy |
| 248 | The arrangement of events or dates in the order of their occurrence | Chronology |
| 249 | A vigorous campaign for political, social, or religious change | Crusade |
| 250 | Lasting for a very short time | Ephemeral |
| 251 | Spoken or done without preparation | Extempore |
| 252 | Release someone from a duty or obligation | Exonerate |
| 253 | Fond of company | Gregarious |
| 254 | Making marks that cannot be removed | Indelible |
| 255 | Incapable of making mistakes or being wrong | Infallible |
| 256 | Certain to happen | Inevitable |
| 257 | A sentimental longing or wistful affection for a period in the past | Nostalgia |
| 258 | A solution or remedy for all difficulties or diseases | Panacea |
| 259 | A doctrine which identifies God with the universe | Pantheism |
| 260 | Excessively concerned with minor details or rules | Pedantic |
| 261 | The practice of taking someone else’s work or ideas and passing them off as one’s own | Plagiarism |
| 262 | Safe to drink | Potable |
| 263 | The emblems or insignia of royalty | Regalia |
| 264 | Violation or misuse of what is regarded as sacred | Sacrilege |
| 265 | A position requiring little or no work but giving the holder status or financial benefit | Sinecure |
| 266 | A thing that is kept as a reminder of a person, place, or event | Souvenir |
| 267 | An imaginary ideal society free of poverty and suffering | Utopia |
| 268 | Denoting a sin that is not regarded as depriving the soul of divine grace | Venial |
| 269 | In exactly the same words as were used originally | Verbatim |
Enhance your vocabulary and learn new words related to one word substitution to boost your exam preparation.
