Antithetical

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ˌæntɪˈθɛtɪkəl/

Definitions

1. Directly opposed or contradictory in nature, representing the complete opposite of something
2. fundamentally contradictory or in complete opposition, embodying the reverse or negation of something else
3. representing principles or ideas that are mutually exclusive and diametrically opposed to one another

Etymology: Ancient Greek rhetoricians gave us the raw material for this word. "Antithesis" comes from the Greek "antithesis," meaning "opposition" or "a setting against," built from "anti" (against) and "tithenai" (to place). A rhetorical antithesis places two contrasting ideas side by side for effect, as in "a small step for a man, a giant leap for mankind." The word passed into Latin as "antitheticus," and English took the adjective from that Latin form, with the familiar "-al" ending added on. Rhetoric was the original home of the idea. The noun "antithesis" was used in English for the balancing of opposing terms in a sentence, and the adjective grew out of that technical setting. Its sense then broadened from a figure of speech to any pair of ideas that stand in direct opposition, so a sentence can now be "antithetical" to a belief, a policy, or another person's view.

Synonyms: contradictory, opposed

Antonyms: consistent, harmonious