Antonymies

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A relationship characterized by opposing meanings or concepts that stand in contrast to each other in close connection
2. The condition of possessing words or expressions that are opposites or convey entirely different ideas within a given context
3. The phenomenon where two or more terms demonstrate divergence in meaning, each representing an opposing notion or attribute

Etymology: "Antonymies" is the plural of "antonymy," the term for the relationship between words of opposite meaning, such as "hot" and "cold." Its root is the Greek "anti," meaning "against" or "opposite," joined to "onyma," a form of "onoma," meaning "name." That pairing mirrors "synonymy," which is built on "syn-" ("together" or "same"), so the two terms were formed as a matched set.