subcontrary

[ suhb-kon-trer-ee ]

/ sʌbˈkɒn trɛr i /

noun, plural sub·con·tra·ries. Logic.

one of two propositions that can both be true but cannot both be false.

Nearby words

subconsciousness, subcontiguous, subcontinent, subcontract, subcontractor, subcontrary, subcorneal pustular dermatosis, subcortex, subcortical, subcosta, subcostal artery

Origin of subcontrary

1595–1605; < Medieval Latin subcontrārius, Late Latin (see sub-, contrary), orig. as translation of Greek hypenantíos

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for subcontrary

subcontrary

/ (sʌbˈkɒntrərɪ) logic /

adjective

(of a pair of propositions) related such that they cannot both be false at once, although they may be true togetherCompare contrary (def. 5), contradictory (def. 3)

noun plural -ries

a statement that cannot be false when a given statement is false

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012