antonymy
gb/ˈæntənmi/ us/ˈæntənmi/
C2
English
Senses
0 senses
Noun
technical
C2
relation
1
opposition in word meaning
Antonymy is the relationship between words that mean opposite things.
Usage pattern:
antonymy between [word/expression] and [word/expression]; the antonymy of [word/expression] and [word/expression]
Common mistake:
Do not use antonymy for one opposite word; the word itself is an antonym. Antonymy is the relationship between opposites.
Synonyms
semantic opposition (A clearer descriptive term for the same meaning relation.)
|
oppositeness (More general and less technical; can refer to ideas or things, not only words.)
Antonyms
synonymy (The relationship between words with the same or very similar meanings.)
Collocations
lexical antonymy
|semantic antonymy
|gradable antonymy
|complementary antonymy
|converse antonymy
|antonymy between words
|a relation of antonymy
|a case of antonymy
|patterns of antonymy
|synonymy and antonymy
Themes
linguistics
|semantics
|vocabulary
|language_learning
Examples
- The course introduces synonymy, antonymy, and other meaning relations.
- There is clear antonymy between success and failure, but not every contrast is so simple.
- Researchers have studied how children learn antonymy in pairs such as big and small.
Learner examples
- Big and small show antonymy.
- Antonymy is a relationship between opposite words.
Grammar
Dictionary form
antonymy
IPA
GB/ˈæntənmi/
US/ˈæntənmi/
Syllables & stress
ant - onymy (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (ant)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: antonymy
- Plural: antonymies
Expressions
complementary antonymy
1/kˌɑmpləmˈɛntɹi ˈæntənmi/
fixed phrase
technical
either-or opposite meanings
A relationship between opposite words where something is usually one or the other, not in between.
Examples
- Alive and dead are often used to illustrate complementary antonymy.
- In logic-related vocabulary, true and false can be treated as a case of complementary antonymy.
converse antonymy
1/kənvˈɚs ˈæntənmi/
fixed phrase
technical
reversed relational opposites
A relationship between opposite words that describe the same situation from different sides.
Examples
- Buy and sell are a classic example of converse antonymy: if one person buys something, another person sells it.
- Teacher and student can be discussed as converse terms because they name different roles in the same relationship.
gradable antonymy
1/ɡɹˈædəbəl ˈæntənmi/
fixed phrase
technical
opposites with degrees
A relationship between opposite words when something can be more or less one or the other.
Examples
- Hot and cold are a common example of gradable antonymy because water can be warm or cool as well.
- The adjective pair old and young shows gradable antonymy rather than a simple either-or contrast.