The report of the committee contained a plethora of details?

Analyze the question: You are asked for the word opposite in meaning to "plethora" (the underlined word) in the sentence: "The report of the committee contained a plethora of details."

Explain the concept: "Plethora" means an excess or overabundance of something, a great deal, more than is needed. Its antonym will therefore be a word that means a lack or scarcity.

Work through the options:

• A. shortage: a lack or insufficiency. This is the opposite of an excess or abundance. ✔
• B. simplicity: means being plain or easy. This has nothing to do with quantity, so it is not an antonym.
• C. multitude: a great number. This is a synonym of plethora, not an antonym. This is the trap option, because students who read the question as "same meaning" will choose it.
• D. spectrum: a range or band of things, which is unrelated to quantity in this sense.

Answer: The opposite of "plethora" (excess) is shortage, which is option A.

Tip: In "opposite in meaning" questions, find the synonym among the options first and eliminate it, since examiners often include it as a distractor. Here, "multitude" is the synonym, so it cannot be the answer. Also remember that "plethora" is often followed by "of", as in "a plethora of problems", meaning "too many".