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

"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

“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

“No Kings” is both a moral and a political claim that tyranny must be antithetical to American values.

From Salon

Related Words

• contradictory