Diametrical

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Located at opposite ends of a diameter; directly opposed or contrary in every way
2. Situated at opposite sides of a given line or boundary
3. Being entirely opposed or in absolute contrast ; placed exactly opposite along a central dividing line

Etymology: Diametrical comes from the Greek "diametros", a compound of "dia" (through, across) and "metron" (measure), meaning a line measured straight across a circle. The Greek root passed into Latin as "diametrus" and reached English through Latin and, more directly, Old French, where the term was used for the geometrical sense. Its general sense of "directly opposed" grows naturally from that geometry: two points at opposite ends of a diameter are as far apart as a circle allows, and figurative use built on that image of total separation. The word is a formation from the same stem as "diameter", with the suffix "-al" added to create the adjective. The "-ical" pattern of the sense has the ring of an older scholarly vocabulary, which is why the word sounds more technical than its everyday use would suggest. Its sense of opposition is the figurative extension of the literal geometrical meaning.

Synonyms: opposite, contradictory, antithetical, polar, inverse

Antonyms: similar, aligned, congruent, compatible, harmonious