antithesis prefix meaning

antithesis (n.)

1520s, "opposition, contrast," originally in rhetoric, "the bringing of contrary ideas or terms in close opposition;" 1530s as "that which is in (rhetorical) opposition or contrast," from Late Latin antithesis , from Greek antithesis "opposition, resistance," literally "a placing against," also a term in logic and rhetoric, noun of action from antitithenai "to set against, oppose," a term in logic, from anti "against" (see anti- ) + tithenai "to put, place" (from reduplicated form of PIE root *dhe- "to set, put").

The extended sense of "direct or striking opposition" is from 1630s; by 1831 as "that which is the direct opposite."

Entries linking to antithesis

plural of antithesis .

"containing an antithesis," c. 1600, from Latinized form of Greek antithetikos "contrasting, setting in opposition," from antithetos "placed in opposition," from antithesis "opposition, resistance," literally "a placing against" (see antithesis ).

antithetical

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Dictionary entries near antithesis

anti-socialist

antistrophe

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Definition of antithesis

Did you know.

Writers and speechmakers use the traditional pattern known as antithesis for its resounding effect; John Kennedy's famous "ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country" is an example. But antithesis normally means simply "opposite". Thus, war is the antithesis of peace, wealth is the antithesis of poverty, and love is the antithesis of hate. Holding two antithetical ideas in one's head at the same time—for example, that you're the sole master of your fate but also the helpless victim of your terrible upbringing—is so common as to be almost normal.

Examples of antithesis in a Sentence

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'antithesis.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Late Latin, from Greek, literally, opposition, from antitithenai to oppose, from anti- + tithenai to set — more at do

1529, in the meaning defined at sense 1b(1)

Dictionary Entries Near antithesis

anti-theoretical

Cite this Entry

“Antithesis.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/antithesis. Accessed 3 Apr. 2024.

Kids Definition

Kids definition of antithesis, more from merriam-webster on antithesis.

Nglish: Translation of antithesis for Spanish Speakers

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Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about antithesis

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opposite, against

Quick Summary

Prefixes are key morphemes in English vocabulary that begin words. The origin of the prefix anti- and its variant ant- is an ancient Greek word which meant “against” or “opposite.” These prefixes appear in numerous English vocabulary words, such as anti freeze, anti dote, ant onym, and ant acid. An easy way to remember that the prefix anti- means “opposite” or “against” is through the word anti social, for an anti social person is the “opposite” of being social, or is “against” being so in her everyday conduct.

Anticipate Anti-!

Prefixes are key morphemes in English vocabulary that begin words. No longer will you be anti the prefix anti- , even if it does mean “against” or “opposite”!

Let’s first take a look at anti- , which usually means “against,” but can also mean “opposite.” If you are anti anything, you are “against” it. An anti dote to a poison is a remedy given “against” the poison to stop if from killing you. An anti biotic is a drug that is given to provide a shield “against” harmful bacteria that has invaded your body. Similarly, liquids in car engines tend to freeze if anti freeze is not given as a protection “against” frigid winter temperatures.

Sweat a lot? If so, you might want to use an anti perspirant, which will help shield you “against” perspiring. Perhaps someone who is anti social, or “against” being social, wouldn’t care whether he’d use anti perspirant or not, since he wouldn’t be hanging around others anyway.

Sometimes the i of anti- is left out; this tends to happen before vowels. This variant, ant , also means “opposite” or “against.” For instance, Ant arctica is the land that is “opposite” to the Arctic on the globe. An ant onym is a word that is “opposite” in meaning to another word, such as dark being the ant onym of light.

Would an ant agonist of yours, or one who goes “against” you, offer you an ant acid tablet or anti matter? If your stomach wasn’t feeling well because of too much acid in it, you would take an ant acid, which would work “against” the acid to neutralize it. On the other hand, if you were to bring matter and anti matter, or the “opposite” of matter, together, they would annihilate each other in one huge explosion. Watch out if your ant agonist is also a physicist!

Now words with anti- or ant in them will no longer go “against” your vocabulary knowledge, but rather much the “opposite!”

• anti : ‘against’
• antidote : remedy given ‘against’ a poison
• antibiotic : drug given ‘against’ the life-form bacteria which has invaded a body
• antifreeze : a liquid used ‘against’ the freezing of cars’ engines
• antiperspirant : product used to help fight ‘against’ perspiration
• antisocial : of going ‘against’ being social
• Antarctica : continent ‘opposite’ the Arctic on the globe
• antonym : word ‘opposite’ another in meaning
• antacid : tablet used ‘against’ stomach acid
• antagonist : one who goes ‘against’ another, usually the protagonist
• antimatter : matter that is the ‘opposite’ of normal matter

Related Rootcasts

The fascinating parts of words.

Morphology is the study of how words are put together by using morphemes, which include prefixes, roots, and suffixes. Parsing the different morphemes in a word reveals meaning and part of speech. For instance, the word “invention” includes the prefix in- + the root vent + the suffix -ion , from which is formed the noun “invention.”

Etymology: Word Origins

Etymology is that part of linguistics that studies word origins. English vocabulary words are formed from many different sources, especially Latin and Greek. By determining the origins of the morphemes in English words, one is better able to remember and determine the dictionary definitions of words.

Two points or places are anti podal if they are directly opposite each other, such as the north and south poles; likewise, ideas can be anti podal if they are direct opposites.

Antipathy is a strong feeling of dislike or hostility towards someone or something.

The anti thesis of something is its opposite.

not in favor of (an action or proposal etc.)

of or relating to anti biotic drugs

anticlimactic

of or relating to a sudden change from an impressive to a ludicrous style

a disappointing decline after a previous rise

a remedy that stops or controls the effects of a poison

a liquid added to the water in a cooling system to lower its freezing point

antipathetic

(usually followed by `to') strongly opposed

antiperspirant

an astringent substance applied to the skin to reduce perspiration

any two places or regions on diametrically opposite sides of the Earth

thoroughly clean and free of or destructive to disease-causing organisms

shunning contact with others

antithetical

sharply contrasted in character or purpose

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antithesis noun

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What does the noun antithesis mean?

There are nine meanings listed in OED's entry for the noun antithesis , two of which are labelled obsolete. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.

antithesis has developed meanings and uses in subjects including

How common is the noun antithesis ?

How is the noun antithesis pronounced, british english, u.s. english, where does the noun antithesis come from.

Earliest known use

Middle English

The earliest known use of the noun antithesis is in the Middle English period (1150—1500).

OED's earliest evidence for antithesis is from around 1450.

antithesis is a borrowing from Latin.

Etymons: Latin antithesis .

Nearby entries

• anti-terror, adj. 1882–
• anti-terrorism, n. 1844–
• anti-terrorist, n. & adj. 1797–
• antitetanic, adj. & n. 1875–
• antithalian, adj. 1818–
• anti-theft, adj. 1834–
• anti-theft movement, n. 1872–
• anti-theism, n. 1788–
• anti-theist, n. & adj. 1627–
• anti-theistic, adj. 1817–
• antithesis, n. c1450–
• antithesism, n. 1816–1919
• antithesistic, adj. 1796–
• antithesize, v. 1790–
• antithesizer, n. 1808–1915
• antithet, n. & adj. 1656–
• antithetic, adj. & n. 1610–
• antithetical, adj. 1582–
• antithetically, adv. 1594–
• antitheton, n. 1550–
• anti-tobacconal, n. 1862–63

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Meaning & use

Pronunciation, compounds & derived words, entry history for antithesis, n..

antithesis, n. was revised in September 2023.

antithesis, n. was last modified in March 2024.

oed.com is a living text, updated every three months. Modifications may include:

• further revisions to definitions, pronunciation, etymology, headwords, variant spellings, quotations, and dates;
• new senses, phrases, and quotations.

Revisions and additions of this kind were last incorporated into antithesis, n. in March 2024.

Earlier versions of this entry were published in:

OED First Edition (1885)

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OED Second Edition (1989)

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Citation details

Factsheet for antithesis, n., browse entry.

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Definition of antithesis noun from the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary

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Meaning of antithesis in English

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• antithetical
• anything but idiom
• countervailing force
• diametrical
• dichotomist
• dichotomous
• or otherwise idiom

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Antithesis | intermediate english, examples of antithesis, translations of antithesis.

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the nuts and bolts

the practical facts about a particular thing, rather than theories or ideas about it

Sitting on the fence (Newspaper idioms)

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• 1.1 Etymology
• 1.2 Pronunciation
• 1.3.1 Antonyms
• 1.3.2 Derived terms
• 1.3.3 Translations

English [ edit ]

Etymology [ edit ].

Borrowed from Latin antithesis , itself a borrowing from Ancient Greek ἀντίθεσις ( antíthesis ) . By surface analysis , anti- +‎ thesis .

Pronunciation [ edit ]

• IPA ( key ) : /æn.ˈtɪ.θə.sɪs/

Noun [ edit ]

antithesis ( plural antitheses )

• A proposition that is the diametric opposite of some other proposition.
• 1835 , L[arret] Langley, A Manual of the Figures of Rhetoric,   [ … ] , Doncaster: Printed by C. White, Baxter-Gate, →OCLC , page 22 : Antithesis , opposing things to things, Oft from the contrast strength and beauty brings.
• ( philosophy ) The second stage of a dialectical process in which the thesis is negated.

Antonyms [ edit ]

Derived terms [ edit ].

• antithesise
• antithesize
• antithetical
• antitheticality
• antithetically
• antitheticalness

Translations [ edit ]

• English terms derived from Proto-Indo-European
• English terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *dʰeh₁-
• English terms borrowed from Latin
• English terms derived from Latin
• English terms derived from Ancient Greek
• English terms prefixed with anti-
• English 4-syllable words
• English terms with IPA pronunciation
• English terms with audio links
• English lemmas
• English nouns
• English countable nouns
• English nouns with irregular plurals
• en:Rhetoric
• English terms with quotations
• en:Philosophy
• en:Figures of speech
• IPA for English using .ˈ or .ˌ
• Mandarin terms with redundant transliterations
• Greek terms with redundant script codes
• Japanese terms with redundant script codes
• Russian terms with non-redundant manual transliterations

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