Choose the correct one-word substitute for: 'A person who abstains from all forms of indulgence'.

Question

Choose the correct one-word substitute for: 'A person who abstains from all forms of indulgence'.

1. A. Ascetic (Correct answer)
2. B. Agnostic
3. C. Mystic
4. D. Skeptic

Correct Answer

Option A — Ascetic

Detailed Solution & Explanation

The correct answer is Ascetic.

Key Points

• An ascetic is a person who practises severe self-discipline and abstains from all forms of indulgence, usually for spiritual reasons.
• The definition given — abstaining from every form of indulgence — matches this word exactly.
• The distractors describe different things entirely: an agnostic doubts whether God can be known, a mystic seeks direct union with the divine, and a sceptic questions accepted claims.

Additional Information

• The word comes from Greek *askesis*, meaning 'training' or 'exercise' — originally the physical regimen of an athlete, later transferred to spiritual discipline.
• Asceticism runs through many traditions: Jain and Buddhist monastic vows, Hindu *sannyasa*, and Christian desert monasticism all rest on renunciation.
• Note that a mystic and a sceptic may or may not be ascetics — the terms describe belief and attitude, whereas *ascetic* describes a way of living.