Which one of the following options is the closest in meaning to the word given below?
Latitude
A. Eligibility B. Freedom C. Coercion D. Meticulousness
GATE 2012 · General Aptitude · Synonyms · medium
Answer: B. Freedom
Understand the target word in context: 'Latitude' figuratively means the freedom or scope given to someone to act independently, without tight restrictions.
Eliminate wrong options: Eligibility = qualification (wrong); Coercion = force/compulsion (opposite meaning); Meticulousness = extreme care for detail (unrelated).
Confirm the correct answer: 'Freedom' captures the essence of 'latitude' — the liberty to make choices. Substitution test: 'He was given latitude/freedom to choose his approach' works perfectly.