Basic Details
Word: Ubiquity
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: The fact of being found everywhere or seeming to be everywhere at the same time.
Synonyms: omnipresence, commonness, prevalence
Antonyms: rarity, scarcity
Word origin: From Latin ubique, everywhere.
How to Spell Ubiquity
Syllables: u - biq - ui - ty
Tricky part: After the q comes u and then i (biqui), and the last vowel is another i. Students often write ubiquety or double the t.
Watch out for: ubiquety, ubiquitty, ubequity
Memory tip: Ubi is Latin for where: ubi + quity. Spell the end like antiquity, which shares the same q-u-i-t-y.
Usage Examples
Example 1: The ubiquity of mobile phones means even vegetable sellers take digital payments.
Example 2: Tourists in Kolkata often remark on the ubiquity of roadside tea stalls.
Example 3: The ubiquity of plastic in the oceans worries marine scientists.
Fun Fact
The adjective ubiquitous is used far more often than the noun ubiquity. A second noun, ubiquitousness, also exists but is rarely seen.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Cookie
Fill in the missing letters to complete the word:
ubiq__ty
a) u, i
b) u, e
c) i, u
d) w, i
Show answer
a) u, i. In English a q is followed by u, and the ending -ity matches antiquity.
Word Connection
Choose the antonym of the word ubiquity as used in the sentence:
The ubiquity of neem trees in the old town keeps its streets shady in summer.
a) commonness
b) presence
c) rarity
d) spread
Show answer
c) rarity. Presence, spread and commonness all describe the trees being everywhere; rarity means they are hard to find.
Mingle-Mangle
Unjumble the letters in the sentence to form a meaningful word:
Visitors are struck by the uqtiuyib of cricket games in every lane of the city.
a) iniquity
b) ubiquitous
c) antiquity
d) ubiquity
Show answer
d) ubiquity. Ubiquitous needs an o and an s, iniquity an n and antiquity an a and an n; the jumble has none of those.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. The ubiquity of plastic bags means that they ____.
a) have been banned for ever
b) are found almost everywhere
c) are made only in one city
d) are very hard to find
Show answer
b) are found almost everywhere
2. Which adjective comes from the same root as ubiquity?
a) ubiquant
b) ubiquitous
c) ubiquous
d) ubiquital
Show answer
b) ubiquitous
