ANTITHESIS (antitheses)

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

Irregular inflected form: antitheses   

 Dictionary entry overview: What does antithesis mean? 

• ANTITHESIS (noun)
  The noun ANTITHESIS has 2 senses:

1. exact opposite

2. the juxtaposition of contrasting words or ideas to give a feeling of balance

  Familiarity information: ANTITHESIS used as a noun is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• ANTITHESIS (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Exact opposite

Classified under:

Nouns denoting relations between people or things or ideas

Context example:

his theory is the antithesis of mine

Hypernyms ("antithesis" is a kind of...):

oppositeness; opposition (the relation between opposed entities)

Derivation:

antithetic; antithetical (sharply contrasted in character or purpose)

Sense 2

Meaning:

The juxtaposition of contrasting words or ideas to give a feeling of balance

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Hypernyms ("antithesis" is a kind of...):

rhetorical device (a use of language that creates a literary effect (but often without regard for literal significance))

Derivation:

antithetic (sharply contrasted in character or purpose)

 Context examples 

Whatever occurred in the instant present, Martin's mind immediately presented associated antithesis or similitude which ordinarily expressed themselves to him in vision.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

To antithesis was due his naming.

(White Fang, by Jack London)

Lord John Roxton has some points in common with Professor Summerlee, and others in which they are the very antithesis to each other.

(The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)