BharatNotes Acrimonious
adjectiveUsage in a UPSC answer
Parliamentary deliberations on land acquisition, once a forum for reasoned accommodation of competing interests, have of late degenerated into acrimonious exchanges that erode both legislative productivity and public trust in democratic institutions.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Word Family
acrimony (n), acrimoniously (adv), acrimoniousness (n)
Root
Latin acer = sharp/bitter + -monia = abstract noun suffix → acrimonia = sharpness; -ous = having
Etymology
From Latin acrimonia 'sharpness, pungency', from acer 'sharp, bitter, keen' + the abstract-noun suffix -monia, plus -ous; the figurative sense of personal bitterness emerged by the 1610s.
Memory Hook
Root hook: Latin acer = 'sharp' — the same root as ACRID (a sharp, bitter smell). An ACRImonious debate leaves an ACRID taste: sharp words, bitter feelings.
How This Word Works in UPSC Writing
Marked by bitterness and sharp hostility, said of a dispute or exchange. It is useful in GS2 for characterising Centre-State friction or inter-party conflict, and the analytical value is that acrimony is itself a cost: a dispute conducted bitterly damages the working relationship needed to implement whatever is finally decided, quite apart from the merits.
Don’t Confuse It With
Acrimonious is bitter and hostile in tone. Contentious attracts disagreement without implying bitterness. Adversarial describes a structure of opposition, as in court proceedings, which can be entirely civil. Rancorous is close to acrimonious and stresses lasting resentment.
Hindi Meaning
कटु (katu) or तीखा (tīkhā).
Common Questions
- What does acrimonious mean?
- Marked by bitterness, sharpness and hostility, typically of a dispute or exchange.
- Why does acrimony matter beyond the dispute itself?
- Because it damages the working relationship needed to implement whatever is eventually decided, which is a cost separate from the merits of the disagreement.
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