Antonymic

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Relating to words that have opposite meanings to each other
2. Belonging to terms that express opposing concepts or definitions
3. Pertaining to language where certain words indicate contrary meanings or ideas

Etymology: "Antonymic" is a plain formation: English "antonym" with the adjectival suffix "-ic" added. The suffix runs back through Middle English "-ik" and Old French "-ique" to Latin "-icus" and, further still, to Proto-Italic and Proto-Indo-European roots, where it marked something as belonging to or characteristic of a thing. Attaching it to "antonym" yields a word meaning simply "having to do with antonyms." The base word is the interesting part. "Antonym" is itself built from Greek roots: "anti-" meaning "against" or "opposite," and "onyma," meaning "name." An antonym is therefore a "counter-name," a word that stands against another. "Antonymic" thus describes language in which such oppositional pairs operate, the "opposite-name" relation put into adjectival form.

Synonyms: oppositional, contradictory