BharatNotes Zealous
adjectiveUsage in a UPSC answer
A zealous administration must temper its reforming fervour with constitutional restraint, lest the pursuit of efficiency erode the procedural safeguards that legitimise the very governance it seeks to strengthen.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Word Family
zeal (n), zealot (n), zealotry (n), zealously (adv), zealousness (n)
Root
Greek zēlos = ardour, eager rivalry; Late Latin zelus; Medieval Latin zelosus = full of zeal; PIE ya- = to seek
Etymology
From Medieval Latin zelosus 'full of zeal', from Late Latin zelus, from Greek zelos 'ardour, eager rivalry, emulation'; ultimately from PIE root *ya- 'to seek, desire'. Shares its root with 'jealous'.
Memory Hook
Hear 'zeal' inside 'zealous' — a zealous person is brimming with ZEAL. Note it rhymes with 'jealous', its etymological twin: both spring from Latin zelosus.
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