Select the Antonyms of the word: Occult

Question

Select the Antonyms of the word:

Occult

1. A. Cryptic
2. B. Uncanny
3. C. Enigmatic
4. D. Fathomable (Correct answer)

Correct Answer

Option D — Fathomable

Detailed Solution & Explanation

The correct answer is Fathomable.

Key Points

• Occult means hidden, secret or beyond ordinary understanding.
• Fathomable means capable of being understood or worked out, making it the antonym.
• Cryptic, Uncanny and Enigmatic all convey mystery or obscurity, so each is a synonym rather than an antonym.
• The Latin root *occultus*, meaning concealed, also gives us *occlude*.

Additional Information

• Occult comes from the Latin *occulere*, "to hide or conceal", and survives in the astronomical term occultation, where one body passes in front of another and hides it.
• Fathomable traces to *fathom*, a nautical unit of six feet used to measure depth; to fathom something was literally to sound its depth, and figuratively to get to the bottom of it.
• The negative form unfathomable is the more common word in everyday use, which is why the positive form can look unfamiliar in an antonym question.