antithetical

American  

[an-tuh-thet-i-kuhl] / ˌæn təˈθɛt ɪ kəl /

Archaic, antithetic

adjective

1. of the nature of or involving antithesis.

2. directly opposed or contrasted; opposite.

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antithetical British  

/ ˌæntɪˈθɛtɪkəl /

adjective

1. of the nature of antithesis

2. directly contrasted

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Other Word Forms

• antithetically adverb

Etymology

Origin of antithetical

First recorded in 1575–85; from Greek antithetikós “setting in opposition, contrasting” (from antíthetos “opposed”) + -al; antithesis ( def. ), -tic ( def. ), -al ¹ ( def. ).

Example Sentences

After all, the concept is considered antithetical or anathema to the Iranian Revolution, which deposed the monarchy led by the shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, in 1979.

From Salon

For regular people, “having to pay an extra fee to handle the unrecyclable plastic packaging that is thrust upon us every day is antithetical to every concept of producer responsibility.”

From Los Angeles Times

"Their approach to the lives of others is antithetical to the values of welcoming and fair debate that our society has upheld for 177 years," the society said.

From BBC

“Options and futures now allow people to gamble on the price without actually being involved in the blockchain, which is antithetical to what BTC was intended for.”

From MarketWatch

But what they’re really grappling with is a similar antithetical: It’s not the policy uncertainty; it’s the unpredictability.

From Barron's

Related Words

• contradictory