Which word means original and strongly influencing later developments?

Which word means original and strongly influencing later developments?

• A. Seminal
• B. Conventional
• C. Derivative
• D. Trite

Answer: (A)

Seminal describes something original that seeds later developments; it’s used for ideas, works, or discoveries that blaze a trail and shape future thinking. This makes it the best fit for “original and strongly influencing later developments.” Conventional means typical or traditional, not original; derivative implies it comes from something else, lacking originality; trite describes something that’s overused or dull. An example: a seminal study changed how researchers approached the topic and inspired many later advances.

Seminal describes something original that seeds later developments; it’s used for ideas, works, or discoveries that blaze a trail and shape future thinking. This makes it the best fit for “original and strongly influencing later developments.”

Conventional means typical or traditional, not original; derivative implies it comes from something else, lacking originality; trite describes something that’s overused or dull. An example: a seminal study changed how researchers approached the topic and inspired many later advances.