BharatNotes Inimical
adjectiveUsage in a UPSC answer
The Supreme Court has consistently held that sedition law under Section 124A IPC — now mirrored in Section 152 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 — must be applied strictly only to speech that is directly inimical to public order or national security, not to mere criticism of government policies.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Word Family
inimically (adv), enemy (noun, related via French), enmity (noun), amicable (antonymous adj), amity (antonymous noun)
Root
Latin inimicus = hostile, enemy (in- = not; amicus = friend)
Etymology
From Latin inimicalis (Late Latin) or directly from inimicus 'hostile, unfriendly, an enemy', composed of in- (negative prefix) + amicus 'friend', from amare 'to love'. The same root yields 'enemy' (via Old French enemi) and 'amiable'. First attested in English in the mid-17th century.
Memory Hook
INIMICAL = IN (not) + AMICAL (from amicus, friend) — literally NOT-FRIENDLY. An inimical force is your enemy (same root as ENEMY). The Latin root amicus gives us AMICABLE (friendly) — so inimical is the precise opposite: enemy-like, working against you.
How This Word Works in UPSC Writing
Harmful to, or hostile toward, something. It is a formal and precise alternative to 'bad for', and it works well in GS2 and GS3 when arguing that a practice is corrosive of a value, as in conditions inimical to competition or to institutional independence. It takes 'to', which is worth remembering, since the common error is to write inimical for something rather than to it.
Don’t Confuse It With
Inimical is harmful or hostile to something. Detrimental causes damage without the note of hostility. Antagonistic implies active opposition, usually between parties. Adverse simply means unfavourable and is the mildest of the four.
Hindi Meaning
प्रतिकूल (pratikūl) or हानिकारक (hānikārak).
Common Questions
- What does inimical mean?
- Harmful to, or hostile toward, something.
- How is inimical used correctly in a sentence?
- It takes the preposition to, as in conditions inimical to competition, rather than inimical for competition.
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