antipode

American  

[an-ti-pohd] / ˈæn tɪˌpoʊd /

noun

1. a direct or exact opposite.

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antipode British  

/ ˈæntɪpəʊd /

noun

1. the exact or direct opposite

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Etymology

Origin of antipode

First recorded in 1540–50; back formation from antipodes

Explanation

The direct opposite of something is its antipode. If your teacher asks what the antipode of the North Pole is, the answer is obvious: it's the South Pole. Mathematicians and geographers both use the term antipode to describe things that are on opposite sides of a sphere. In geography, this is often referred to as "the antipodes," points on the earth that are diametrically opposed. In math, an antipode can also be called an "antipodal point," used for two points falling on a line that goes through the middle of a sphere. The Greek root is antipous, "with feet opposite ours."

Example Sentences

At campaign stops, Democratic Sen. Raphael G. Warnock often reminds his Georgia constituents of the time he joined forces with his ideological antipode, Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas.

From Washington Post • Nov. 28, 2022

Burrow left Ohio State after three seasons, unable to beat out Dwayne Haskins for the Buckeyes’ starting job, leaving the Midwest for its cultural antipode, the Cajun country of Louisiana.

From New York Times • Feb. 12, 2022

But such impact-driven volcanism typically occurs on the opposite side of the moon or planet from the impact point, a spot called the antipode.

From Science Magazine • Oct. 19, 2021

The rise of digital diplomacy and its antipode, disinformation and propaganda, is a challenge to traditional diplomatic statecraft.

From US News • Aug. 30, 2016

It does not, however, attain the dimensions of its antipode, rarely exceeding those of a large shrub.

From The Romance of Natural History, Second Series by Gosse, Philip Henry