Which of the following best defines chart?

• A. A detailed map used for navigation of the sea or air
• B. To use information from another source
• C. The conditions surrounding an event
• D. A drawing or illustration which displays information in an easy to understand way; a graph

Answer: (D)

Chart is about a visual way of presenting information. It’s a tool that turns data into a drawing or diagram so you can quickly see patterns, comparisons, or trends. The best fit among the options is the one that describes a drawing or illustration that displays information clearly, including graphs. That captures the general sense of a chart as a visual summary of data.

Other descriptions pull in different ideas: one describes a specialized navigational map, which is a narrow use of the word; another means to use information from another source, which points to concepts like citing or quoting; and another refers to the conditions surrounding an event, which relates to circumstances. None of these convey the broad idea of a chart as a graphic representation of information.