The Hindu Vocabulary 3 February 2026

2026-02-03

The vocabulary for The Hindu Editorial February 03, 2026 is from the Editorial title “A cautious nudge: On the 16th Finance Commission’s recommendations”.

Word/Phrase	Part of speech	Meaning	Synonyms	Antonyms	Sentence
Cautious	Adjective	Careful to avoid potential problems or dangers. (सावधान)	Careful, Wary, Prudent, Vigilant, Guarded, Heedful, Discreet, Alert, Watchful, Chary	Reckless, Rash, Bold, Careless, Daring, Heedless, Impudent, Incautious, Thoughtless, Unwary	The investor was very cautious about putting money into the new, unproven stock.
Federalism	Noun	A system of government in which power is divided between a central authority and constituent political units (like states). (संघवाद)	Unionism, Confederation, Federation, Alliance, Coalition, Partnership, Governance, Centralism	Unitary-state, Totalitarianism, Autocracy, Monarchy, Dictatorship, Absolutism, Centralization, Despotism, Tyranny,	Indian federalism ensures that both the central and state governments have their own specific powers.
Devolution	Noun	The transfer or delegation of power to a lower level, especially by central government to local or regional administration. (हस्तांतरण)	Decentralization, Delegation, Transfer, Distribution, Assignment, Allocation, Passing, Dispersal, Conveyance, Surrender	Centralization, Consolidation, Concentration, Retention, Accumulation, Unity, Integration, Gathering, Monopolization, Preservation	The devolution of power allowed the local council to make decisions regarding its own schools.
Recourse	Noun	A source of help in a difficult situation; the legal right to demand compensation or payment. (सहारा)	Resort, Option, Remedy, Appeal, Support, Help, Aid, Choice, Alternative, Refuge	Obstacle, Hindrance, Barrier, Difficulty, Problem, Stop, Block, Refusal, Prevention, Avoidance	If the company refuses to fix the defect, your only recourse is to take legal action.
Productive	Adjective	Producing or able to produce large amounts of goods, crops, or other commodities. (उत्पादक)	Fruitful, Fertile, Prolific, Efficient, Profitable, Constructive, Effective, Generative, Useful, Yielding	Unproductive, Barren, Sterile, Idle, Useless, Fruitless, Worthless, Inefficient, Lazy, Inactive	The morning meeting was very productive, resulting in a clear plan for the entire week.
Fiscal	Adjective	Relating to government revenue, especially taxes and public spending. (राजकोषीय)	Financial, Monetary, Budgetary, Economic, Pecuniary, Commercial, Tax-related, Revenue, Wealth	Private, Individual, Personal, Nonfinancial, Domestic, Internal, Petty, Uncommercial, Extravagant, Wasteful	The government is implementing strict fiscal policies to reduce the national deficit.
Deliberate	Adjective	Done consciously and intentionally; to engage in long and careful consideration. (जानबूझकर)	Intentional, Planned, Calculated, Conscious, Careful, Slow, Measured, Purposeful, Studied, Wary	Accidental, Unintentional, Hasty, Random, Sudden, Chance, Rash, Careless, Spontaneous, Unplanned	The jury took several hours to deliberate before reaching a final verdict.
Demographic	Adjective	Relating to the structure of populations; a particular sector of a population. (जनसांख्यिकीय)	Population-based, Statistical, Human, Social, Group, Segment, Categorical, Analytical, Census-related, Regional	Individual, Personal, Single, Unique, Particular, Specific, Non-statistical, Private, Discrete, Isolated	Advertisers are targeting the young adult demographic for the new streaming service.
Stagger	Verb	Walk or move unsteadily, as if about to fall; to arrange events so that they do not occur at the same time. (लड़खड़ाना / समयबद्ध तरीके से अलग करना)	Totter, Sway, Wobble, Recl, Lurch, Shock, Astound, Alternate, Interval, Overwhelm	Stabilize, Steady, Calm, Comfort, Align, Synchronize, Continue, Persist, Ease, Fix	The office decided to stagger the lunch breaks to ensure someone was always at the desk.
Surcharge	Noun	An additional charge or payment; to mark a stamp or document with a new value. (अधिभार / अतिरिक्त शुल्क)	Extra-fee, Tax, Addition, Levy, Fine, Cost, Expense, Premium, Supplement, Toll	Discount, Reduction, Refund, Rebate, Deduction, Credit, Decrease, Allowance, Exemption, Subsidy	There is a small surcharge for paying your utility bill with a credit card.
Reinforce	Verb	To strengthen or support, especially with additional personnel or material. (सुदृढ़ करना / सहारा देना)	Strengthen, Support, Fortify, Bolster, Uphold, Boost, Assist, Supplement, Emphasize, Solidify	Weaken, Undermine, Diminish, Discourage, Soften, Reduce, Subtract, Harm, Hinder, Sap	The teacher used visual aids to reinforce the main points of the lesson.
Divisible	Adjective	Capable of being divided or separated. (विभाज्य / बांटने योग्य)	Separable, Detachable, Partitionable, Distributable, Segmental, Fractional, Cuttable, Splittable, Breakable, Soluble	Indivisible, Inseparable, Unified, Whole, Solid, Single, Connected, Fixed, Unitary, Attached	In mathematics, the number eight is divisible by two and four without a remainder.