Contrapose

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To place in opposition or contrast for comparative purposes
2. To position or arrange something so that it stands in contrast to another
3. To set two or more items against each other to highlight differences or create balance

Etymology: "Contrapose" is built from the Latin prefix "contra-" meaning "against" and the verb "poser," meaning "to place" or "to put." Its literal sense is therefore "to place against," which is exactly what the modern meaning describes: setting one thing opposite another so that their differences show. English took the word from French, where "contraposer" carried the same idea of placing things in opposition. The French source is also the reason the word sits in a family with "compose," "propose," and "suppose," all of which share the "poser" root and differ only in their prefixes. Each prefix steers the basic act of placing in a different direction, so "contrapose" is the member of that family that places things over against one another.

Synonyms: contrast, oppose