Question:medium

Choose the correct meaning of the foreign language word "Charade".

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Many French-origin words in English have shifted meanings—always check if the current English use matches the original.
Updated On: Jul 15, 2026
  • series
  • charter
  • pretence
  • spate
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The Correct Option is C

Approach Solution - 1

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
This question checks the modern English meaning of a French loanword. Loanwords often keep only part of their original sense once they settle into everyday English, so context clues from common usage help pin down the meaning.

Step 2: Key Formula or Approach:
Recall a common sentence that uses the word naturally, then see which option fits that sentence. A familiar example is "the trial was a charade," which clearly signals something staged or fake rather than genuine.

Step 3: Detailed Explanation:
"Charade" started out as a French parlour game built around acting out riddles, and that theatrical, put-on quality carried over into modern usage, where the word now means an obvious act meant to create a false impression. Checking the other options: "series" describes a sequence, "charter" is a formal document, and "spate" means a sudden rush of events. None of these fit the sense of something fake or staged, so only "pretence" lines up with how the word is actually used.

Step 4: Final Answer:
"Charade" means pretence, so option C is correct.
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Approach Solution -2

Most people already know the party game "charades", where players act something out silently while everyone else guesses what it is. That everyday image is actually the fastest route to this word's meaning.

  1. Series: Nothing about acting something out involves a sequence of separate items, so this option has no link to the game or the word.
  2. Charter: A game of pretend acting has nothing to do with a formal legal document, so this option is unrelated.
  3. Pretence: In the game, players pretend to be something they are not, acting out a false scene for others to interpret. That same idea of an obvious, staged pretence is exactly what the word "charade" carries into everyday sentences.
  4. Spate: A sudden rush of events has nothing to do with acting or pretending, so this option does not connect either.

Thinking of the familiar party game where people act out a false scene makes it clear the word describes exactly that, an obvious pretence rather than a genuine situation.

Therefore, the correct answer is pretence.

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