antithetical
Americanadjective
-
of the nature of antithesis
-
directly contrasted
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. ).
Explanation
Something is antithetical when it is in complete and utter opposition to the character of something. If you’re a vegetarian, eating giant T-bone steaks is antithetical to your beliefs. You’ll find that antithetical is a useful word when you’re trying to express an extreme contrast. If someone is trying to convince you to do something you don’t believe in, or to allow an organization you’re involved with to adopt measures you are strongly against, you can use antithetical. You go out to vote because sitting out of the voting process is antithetical to what you believe in. If you find that your club wants to adopt exclusive measures when it is supposed to be open, you'll tell them that that's antithetical to the club's purpose.
Vocabulary lists containing antithetical
100 SAT Words Beginning with "A"
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Opposites Attract
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30 GRE Words Beginning with "A"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“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 • Feb. 7, 2026
“The entire thing is antithetical to the history and tradition of the Constitution, which is what the Supreme Court cares so much about,” he said.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 16, 2026
Kennedy is no fool — he knows that his efforts are more antithetical to democracy than he lets on.
From Salon • Nov. 29, 2025
His father was a classical-music obsessive; his mother, an artist — tendencies that, at the time, were considered antithetical to working-class life.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 2, 2025
The same town that gave the world the golden arches also gave it a biker gang that stood for a totally antithetical set of values.
From "Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal" by Eric Schlosser
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
