inverse

American  

[in-vurs, in-vurs, in-vurs] / ɪnˈvɜrs, ˈɪn vɜrs, ɪnˈvɜrs /

adjective

1. reversed in position, order, direction, or tendency.

2. Mathematics.

   1. (of a proportion) containing terms of which an increase in one results in a decrease in another. A term is said to be in inverse proportion to another term if it increases (or decreases) as the other decreases (or increases).

   2. of or relating to an inverse function.

3. inverted; turned upside down.

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noun

inverses plural

1. an inverted state or condition.

2. something that is inverse; the direct opposite.

3. Mathematics.

   1. an element of an algebraic system, as a group, corresponding to a given element such that its product or sum with the given element is the identity element.

   2. inverse function.

   3. a point related to a given point so that it is situated on the same radius, extended if necessary, of a given circle or sphere and so that the product of the distances of the two points from the center equals the square of the radius of the circle or sphere.

   4. the set of such inverses of the points of a given set, as the points on a curve.

verb (used with object)

inversed, inversing

1. to invert.

inverse British  

/ ˈɪnvɜːs, ɪnˈvɜːs /

adjective

1. opposite or contrary in effect, sequence, direction, etc

2. maths

   1. (of a relationship) containing two variables such that an increase in one results in a decrease in the other

      the volume of a gas is in inverse ratio to its pressure

   2. (of an element) operating on a specified member of a set to produce the identity of the set: the additive inverse element of x is –x, the multiplicative inverse element of x is 1/x

3. (usually prenominal) upside-down; inverted

   in an inverse position

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noun

1. maths

   1. another name for reciprocal

   2. an inverse element

2. logic a categorial proposition derived from another by changing both the proposition and its subject from affirmative to negative, or vice versa, as all immortals are angels from no mortals are angels

inverse Scientific  

1. Relating to a mathematical operation whose nature or effect is the opposite of another operation. For example, addition and subtraction are inverse operations, as are multiplication and division.

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1. An inverse operation. Subtraction is the inverse of addition.

2. Either of a pair of elements in a set whose result under the mathematical operation of the set is the identity element. For example, the inverse of 5 under multiplication is 1/5, since 5 × 1/5 = 1, the identity element under multiplication. The inverse of 5 under addition is −5, since 5 + −5 = 0.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• inversely
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• inverses
  plural

Etymology

Origin of inverse

1605–15; < Latin inversus, past participle of invertere to turn upside down or inside out, reverse. See in- ², verse

Explanation

If you notice that the more money you have, the less money your brother has, you’ve discovered an inverse relationship: when your bank account increases, his decreases. The word inverse traces back to the Latin inversus, from the past participle of invertere, meaning “turn upside down" or "turn about.” It’s a good word to use when you need to describe one of those topsy-turvy relationships in which when one thing goes up, the other goes down. It can also be used in a broader sense to mean “opposite.” You’ve probably heard someone begin a sentence by saying, “And the inverse was true for so and so . . .” That just means the opposite was true.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

inverse inverses inversed

The most dynamic category is inverse and leveraged products, now allowed for single stocks.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026

This is illustrated in the accompanying chart, which shows the perfectly inverse correlation between trader size and the probability of profit — known as “edge.”

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 13, 2026

Leveraged and inverse ETFs made up 31% of all U.S.-listed ETF launches in the first half of 2026, up from 22% in all of 2025, according to research from Morningstar.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 9, 2026

I feel like the inverse of all those social media videos from earlier in the tournament, the foreigners visiting Cheesecake Factory and wondering why Americans eat salads the size of Ford Explorers.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 2026

The implication, carefully cultivated by Newton, is that he had the inverse square law by 1666, long before any discussions between Halley, Hooke and Wren.

From "The Scientists" by John Gribbin

The following key terms will be important to our understanding of functions and their inverses.

From Textbooks ● Sep. 23, 2020

TRY IT #2 Show that the following two matrices are inverses of each other.

From Textbooks ● Sep. 23, 2020

For functions whose derivatives we already know, we can use this relationship to find derivatives of inverses without having to use the limit definition of the derivative.

From Textbooks ● Mar. 30, 2016

We can solve exponential equations with base by applying the natural logarithm of both sides because exponential and logarithmic functions are inverses of each other.

From Textbooks ● Feb. 13, 2015

TRY IT #1 Show that and are inverses.

From Textbooks ● Feb. 13, 2015

He told Aaron to wear No. 2 and Andrew to wear No. 5 thinking, somewhat fancifully, that the inversed numbers might confuse opponents.

From New York Times ● Apr. 5, 2014

Words by Alex Klein Photography by Mike O'Meally and Skin Phillips Australia: land of inversed summers, succulent skateparks, glorious beaches, and beautiful women.

From Time Magazine Archive

P. 1.5-2.5 cm. campan. convex, exp. and inversed, striate, brown then grey; g. adnato-decur. veined, branched, distant, white or glaucous; s. 3-5 cm. fistulose, glabrous, thickened upwards; sp.

From European Fungus Flora: Agaricaceae by Massee, George