What term describes a general category that subsumes more specific items, such as fruit containing apple and orange?

What term describes a general category that subsumes more specific items, such as fruit containing apple and orange?

• A. Hypernym
• B. Hyponym
• C. Meronym
• D. Synonym

Answer: (A)

A general category that subsumes more specific items is called a hypernym. In your example, fruit is the hypernym for apples and oranges because it’s the broad umbrella term that includes those more specific items. The more specific terms (apple, orange) are hyponyms of the hypernym, meaning they fall under that broader category.

Hyponym describes a specific member of a category, not the category itself. Meronym refers to a part–whole relationship, which isn’t about broad categories or inclusions. Synonym means words with the same meaning, which apples and oranges do not share. So the best fit for describing the broad category is hypernym.