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• anti
  anti

  noun

  a person who is opposed to a particular practice, party, policy, action, etc.
• anti-
  anti-

  a prefix meaning “against,” “opposite of,” “antiparticle of,” used in the formation of compound words (anticline ); used freely in combination with elements of any origin (antibody; antifreeze; antiknock; antilepton ).
• anti–
  anti–

  A prefix whose basic meaning is “against.” It is used to form adjectives that mean “counteracting” (such as antiseptic, preventing infection). It is also used to form nouns referring to substances that counteract other substances (such as antihistamine, a substance counteracting histamine), and nouns meaning “something that displays opposite, reverse, or inverse characteristics of something else” (such as anticyclone, a storm that circulates in the opposite direction from a cyclone). Before a vowel it becomes ant–, as in antacid.

anti

¹ American  

[an-tahy, an-tee] / ˈæn taɪ, ˈæn ti /

noun

antis plural

1. a person who is opposed to a particular practice, party, policy, action, etc.

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anti- ² American  

1. a prefix meaning “against,” “opposite of,” “antiparticle of,” used in the formation of compound words (anticline ); used freely in combination with elements of any origin (antibody; antifreeze; antiknock; antilepton ).

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anti ¹ British  

/ ˈæntɪ /

adjective

1. opposed to a party, policy, attitude, etc

   he won't join because he is rather anti

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noun

1. an opponent of a party, policy, etc

anti- ² British  

prefix

1. against; opposing

   anticlerical

   antisocial

2. opposite to

   anticlimax

   antimere

3. rival; false

   antipope

4. counteracting, inhibiting, or neutralizing

   antifreeze

   antihistamine

5. designating the antiparticle of the particle specified

   antineutron

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anti– Scientific  

1. A prefix whose basic meaning is “against.” It is used to form adjectives that mean “counteracting” (such as antiseptic, preventing infection). It is also used to form nouns referring to substances that counteract other substances (such as antihistamine, a substance counteracting histamine), and nouns meaning “something that displays opposite, reverse, or inverse characteristics of something else” (such as anticyclone, a storm that circulates in the opposite direction from a cyclone). Before a vowel it becomes ant–, as in antacid.

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Sensitive Note

See homophobia.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• antis
  plural

Etymology

Origin of anti¹

First recorded in 1780–90; by shortening of words prefixed with anti-

Origin of anti-²

From Middle English, from Latin, from Greek, prefixal use of antí; akin to Sanskrit ánti “opposite,” Latin ante, Middle Dutch ende (giving rise to Dutch en “and”), English an- in answer. See ante-, and

Explanation

To be anti is to be opposed to or against something, like an action, political party, or government. If you are anti love scenes, you might prefer an action flick. The word anti comes from the prefix anti-, which means “against” or “opposite,” and is still used in English words, such as antibodies and anti-hero. As a word on its own anti is an adjective or preposition describing a person or thing that is against someone or something else. In a casual sense anti is sometimes used as a noun for a person who is against something — if you’re not on the pro side, you’re an anti.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

anti anti- antis

“We’re not anti-peptide, we’re just anti people hurting themselves because they’re getting products that aren’t vetted or verified,” Hunter said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 23, 2026

“I’m not anti data centers, I’m pro-transparency,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 21, 2026

These molecules are recognized for their unusual twisted ring structures and their powerful biological effects, including anti inflammatory and anti tumor activity.

From Science Daily ● May 13, 2026

“I quickly realized” that it “was anti content,” said another.

From Salon ● Apr. 29, 2026

Seth Walker, Speaker of the House and a dedicated anti, gaveled the meeting to order.

From "Votes for Women!" by Winifred Conkling

His songs were long, defiant and explicitly anti- governments in power and corruption.

From Barron's ● Jan. 30, 2026

Like many people who find themselves on the anti- side of the assisted-suicide issue, he takes the concept to what seem very logical conclusions—with an assist from Canada.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 30, 2025

And even my dialect coach was really anti- the idea for a while because it was creating lisps in my mouth, which wasn’t right.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 20, 2024

Later, Lydon would clarify that he was only seeking to demonstrate all the mixed feelings invested in the gravity of such a decision, and he considers the song neither anti- nor pro-abortion.

From Salon ● Jan. 30, 2024

A magna cum laude graduate, she majored in political science in college and was deeply involved in campus social affairs, especially in anti- discrimination and anti-nuclear issues.

From "Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences" by John Allen Paulos

“Lee was a maverick, a local provincial politician, and the antis used to be the mainstream, but the power equation changed.”

From Washington Times ● Sep. 22, 2023

The more conservative group, the antis, had a more retro silhouette, almost a leftover from the early ’50s, though it was into the ’70s.

From Slate ● May 6, 2020

“The antis find any identifier on your car,” the escort said.

From The New Yorker ● Jun. 3, 2019

And gold for JollySwagman's terse "Boris baffled - ridiculous cost infuriates us antis".

From The Guardian ● Aug. 13, 2012

Whether the ranks of antis were exaggerated or not, it was clear that the time had not yet come for suffrage.

From "Votes for Women!" by Winifred Conkling

Related Words

• adverse
• belligerent
• bitter
• contentious
• contrary
• hateful
• inhospitable
• inimical
• nasty
• opposed
• unfavorable
• unfriendly
• unsympathetic