Concept
One word substitution means replacing a phrase or definition with a single word. Analogies test the relationship between word pairs. Both are heavily tested in BCS. One word substitutions follow patterns — learning the common suffixes (-cide, -phobia, -ist, -archy, -logy) gives you the power to deduce answers even for words you have never seen before. BCS examiners repeat certain categories: types of killing (-cide), types of government (-cracy/-archy), types of fear (-phobia), and types of places.
Key Lists / Tables
One Word Substitutions — Killing (-cide)
| Phrase |
One Word |
| Killing of a king |
Regicide |
| Killing of oneself |
Suicide |
| Killing of a human being |
Homicide |
| Killing of an entire race/group |
Genocide |
| Killing of an infant |
Infanticide |
| Killing of a brother |
Fratricide |
| Killing of a father |
Patricide |
| Killing of a mother |
Matricide |
| Killing of a sister |
Sororicide |
| Killing of a spouse |
Mariticide |
One Word Substitutions — Fear (-phobia)
| Fear of |
One Word |
| Heights |
Acrophobia |
| Water |
Hydrophobia |
| Closed spaces |
Claustrophobia |
| Foreigners/strangers |
Xenophobia |
| Open/public spaces |
Agoraphobia |
| Darkness |
Nyctophobia |
| Fire |
Pyrophobia |
| Animals |
Zoophobia |
| Solitude/being alone |
Monophobia |
One Word Substitutions — Government (-cracy/-archy)
| Type |
One Word |
| Rule by the people |
Democracy |
| Rule by the rich |
Plutocracy |
| Rule by one person (absolute) |
Autocracy |
| Rule by religious leaders |
Theocracy |
| Rule by the best/elite |
Aristocracy |
| Rule by a few |
Oligarchy |
| Absence of government |
Anarchy |
| Rule by the military |
Stratocracy |
One Word Substitutions — People & Places
| Phrase |
One Word |
| One who knows many languages |
Polyglot |
| One who hates mankind |
Misanthrope |
| One who loves mankind |
Philanthropist |
| One who eats too much |
Glutton |
| One who walks in sleep |
Somnambulist |
| One who cannot be corrected |
Incorrigible |
| One who speaks many languages |
Linguist / Polyglot |
| One who doubts everything |
Skeptic |
| One who lives away from home country |
Expatriate |
| Place where dead bodies are kept |
Mortuary / Morgue |
| Place where bees are kept |
Apiary |
| Place where birds are kept |
Aviary |
| Place where fish are kept |
Aquarium |
| Place where weapons are stored |
Arsenal |
| Place where animals are kept |
Zoo / Menagerie |
One Word Substitutions — "That which cannot be..."
| Phrase |
One Word |
| Cannot be avoided |
Inevitable |
| Cannot be believed |
Incredible |
| Cannot be read |
Illegible |
| Cannot be conquered |
Invincible |
| Cannot be corrected |
Incorrigible |
| Cannot be heard |
Inaudible |
| Cannot be seen |
Invisible |
| Cannot be touched |
Intangible |
| Cannot be explained |
Inexplicable |
Analogy Patterns
| Pattern |
Example |
| Synonym |
Happy : Joyful :: Sad : Gloomy |
| Antonym |
Hot : Cold :: Light : Dark |
| Part-Whole |
Wheel : Car :: Key : Keyboard |
| Cause-Effect |
Fire : Smoke :: Rain : Flood |
| Worker-Tool |
Carpenter : Hammer :: Painter : Brush |
| Category |
Rose : Flower :: Dog : Animal |
| Degree |
Warm : Hot :: Cool : Cold |
| Gender |
Bull : Cow :: King : Queen |
BCS Shortcuts (Mnemonics & Grouping Tricks)
Suffix Decoder Ring:
- -cide = killing (remember: suicide, homicide, genocide)
- -phobia = fear (remember: claustrophobia, hydrophobia)
- -ist = person who does something (pianist, philanthropist)
- -cracy/-archy = rule/government (democracy, monarchy)
- -logy = study of (biology, psychology)
- -graphy = writing about (biography, geography)
Mis- vs Phil- Mnemonic:
- Misanthrope = Miserable about people (hates mankind)
- Philanthropist = Phil is friendly (loves mankind)
Somn- = Sleep: Somnambulist (sleepwalker), Somnolent (sleepy), Insomnia (cannot sleep)
Solved Examples (5 BCS-style MCQ with Explanations)
Q1. A person who knows many languages is called —
- (a) Linguist (b) Polyglot (c) Grammarian (d) Translator
- Answer: (b) Polyglot — Poly = many, Glot = tongue/language. While "linguist" is also acceptable in general use, "polyglot" is the precise one-word substitution tested in BCS.
Q2. Killing of an entire race is called —
- (a) Homicide (b) Regicide (c) Genocide (d) Fratricide
- Answer: (c) Genocide — Geno = race/people, -cide = killing. Homicide = killing a person, Regicide = killing a king, Fratricide = killing a brother.
Q3. Fear of closed spaces is known as —
- (a) Agoraphobia (b) Acrophobia (c) Hydrophobia (d) Claustrophobia
- Answer: (d) Claustrophobia — Claustro = closed. Agoraphobia = fear of open spaces (the opposite). Acrophobia = fear of heights. Hydrophobia = fear of water.
Q4. Doctor : Hospital :: Teacher : ?
- (a) Library (b) School (c) Office (d) Laboratory
- Answer: (b) School — This is a worker-workplace analogy. A doctor works in a hospital; a teacher works in a school.
Q5. That which cannot be conquered is —
- (a) Inevitable (b) Invincible (c) Incredible (d) Invisible
- Answer: (b) Invincible — In + vincible (from Latin vincere = to conquer). Inevitable = cannot be avoided. Incredible = cannot be believed. Invisible = cannot be seen.
Common Mistakes — Watch Out!
- Misanthrope vs Philanthropist — These are exact opposites! Misanthrope hates people; Philanthropist loves people. BCS loves testing this pair.
- Agoraphobia vs Claustrophobia — Agora = open marketplace (fear of open spaces); Claustro = closed (fear of closed spaces). They are antonyms.
- Inevitable vs Invincible — Inevitable = cannot be avoided; Invincible = cannot be conquered. The prefixes are the same (in-) but the root words differ.
- Regicide vs Genocide — Regi = king (one specific killing); Geno = race (mass killing). Do not mix up.
- Expatriate vs Patriot — Both have "patri" (fatherland) but expatriate means living OUTSIDE your country.
Question Pattern Recognition
- "One word for..." — Memorize the key lists. Focus on -cide, -phobia, -cracy categories.
- "X : Y :: A : ?" — First identify the relationship between X and Y, then apply the same pattern to A.
- Analogy questions — Always test all four common patterns: synonym, antonym, part-whole, worker-tool.
- BCS loves testing: Polyglot, Misanthrope, Somnambulist, the -cide family, the -phobia family, and the "in-" words (inevitable, invincible, incredible, illegible, incorrigible).