Word of the Day

: January 4, 2022

antithetical

adjective an-tuh-THET-ih-kul

What It Means

Antithetical means "directly opposite of or opposed."

// The question asks students to describe and analyze the antithetical forces of good and evil in the story.

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antithetical in Context

"In all seriousness, area trails can get crowded, particularly during holidays, and an adventure with too many others, for some, is antithetical to their preferred outdoor experience." — David Jasper, The Bulletin (Bend, Oregon), 26 Nov. 2021

Did You Know?

Antithetical and antithesis come from Greek antitithenai ("to oppose"). The oldest sense of antithesis refers to a language pattern that contrasts parallel ideas, as in "action, not words" or "they promised freedom and provided slavery," and antithetical originally referred to anything that was marked by such antithesis. For example, you could say "The phrase 'action, not words' is an antithetical construction." It is more common, however, for antithesis to mean "the exact opposite" and for antithetical to mean "directly opposite."