Anti

Part of speech: preposition, adverb

Pronunciation: /ˈæn.ti/

Definitions

1. opposed to or against something, typically used as a prefix to indicate opposition or resistance
2. in opposition to a particular idea, concept, or trend, frequently functioning as a prefix to denote resistance or contrary actions
3. serving to express hostility or contradiction towards a notion, usually appearing as a prefix to indicate an adversarial stance

Etymology: Anti started life in ancient Greek as "anti", a word meaning "against", "opposite", or "instead of", and it is one of the few Greek prepositions that English borrowed more or less intact as a living building block. Its Greek roots were already flexible: the same form could mean "face to face" as easily as "in exchange for," which is why its descendants in English can sound so different from one another. For most of its history in English, anti was not a freestanding word at all but a prefix pressed onto other terms, as in "antichrist" or "antipodes." The modern habit of splitting it off as a standalone adjective and adverb is a more recent development, and it is the source of the word's grammatical flexibility today. Speakers began using it as a complete word meaning "opposed" or "against a particular thing," so "I'm anti" now needs no further material to make sense.

Synonyms: against, opposed

Antonyms: pro