Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- n. Direct contrast; opposition.
- n. The direct or exact opposite: Hope is the antithesis of despair.
- n. A figure of speech in which sharply contrasting ideas are juxtaposed in a balanced or parallel phrase or grammatical structure, as in "Hee for God only, shee for God in him” ( John Milton).
- n. The second and contrasting part of such a juxtaposition.
- n. The second stage of the Hegelian dialectic process, representing the opposite of the thesis.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- n. Opposition; contrast.
- n. That which is opposed or contrasted, as one of two opposite judgments or propositions: in this sense opposed to thesis (which see). Specifically
- n. In rhetoric, a figure consisting in bringing contrary ideas or terms into close opposition; a contrast or an opposition of words or sentiments: as, “When our vices leave us, we flatter ourselves we leave them”; “The prodigal robs his heir, the miser robs himself”; “Excess of ceremony shows want of breeding.”
Wiktionary
- n. A proposition that is the diametric opposite of some other proposition.
- n. rhetoric A device by which two contrasting ideas are juxtaposed in parallel form.
GNU Webster's 1913
- n. (Rhet.) An opposition or contrast of words or sentiments occurring in the same sentence; as, “The prodigal
robs his heir ; the miserrobs himself .” “He hadcovertly shot at Cromwell; he howopenly aimed at the Queen.” - n. The second of two clauses forming an antithesis.
- n. Opposition; contrast.
WordNet 3.0
- n. exact opposite
- n. the juxtaposition of contrasting words or ideas to give a feeling of balance
Etymologies
- From Ancient Greek ἀντί (anti, "against") + θέσις (thesis, "position"). (Wiktionary)
- Late Latin, from Greek, from antitithenai, antithe-, to oppose : anti-, anti- + tithenai, to set; see dhē- in Indo-European roots. (American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition)
Examples
“And, of course, the antithesis is the dreaded bumper-to-bumper traffic jam, where we feel so out of control.”
“Thus the antithesis is appropriate in the words following, "But we were gentle (the opposite of pressing weightily) among you" (1Th 2: 7).”
“The role of antithesis is an important one, but its function is more to stand against the thesis, to force the synthesis, than to stand as thesis in its own right.”
“An antithesis is a good thing for a thesis to have, because the contrast between the two highlight the differences, and give a clue as to which proposition is “correct†to the observer.”
“Hearing and seeing are often in antithesis (Job 29: 11; Ps 18: 8). seeth -- not God's face (Ex 33: 20), but His presence in the veil of a dark cloud (Job 38: 1).”
“Behold -- God's reply. pleasure -- in antithesis to their boast of having "afflicted their soul"; it was only in outward show they really enjoyed themselves.”
“The "men" is emphatic; men of sense; in antithesis to "vain boasting." mockest -- upbraidest God by complaints, "shall no man make thee ashamed?”
“Thus the name indicated the joy of the people at the fancied propitiation of the god by this sacrifice; in antithesis to its joyless name subsequently. valley of slaughter -- It should be the scene of slaughter, no longer of children, but of men; not of "innocents" (Jer 19: 4), but of those who richly deserved their fate.”
“The antithesis is to Jer 48: 6, "Be ... in the wilderness," where there are no fortified cities. thou ... also -- like the rest of the surrounding peoples, Judah, &c.”
“In heaven" implies the place where God's purpose of wrath is formed in antithesis to its "coming down" in the next clause.”
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘antithesis’.
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GRE Barrons Wordlist
A complete Barron's Wordlist for GRE preparation. Your online flashcard replacement.
abase, abash, abate, abbreviate, abdicate, aberrant, aberration, abet, abeyance, abhor, abject, abjure and 4087 more...
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G[r]eek
A collection of words found in English that are either purely Greek or have Greek etymology.
Please add with caution and certainty. Will be regularly updated by me.etymology, philosophy, laconic, disharmony, patriarchic, archaic, phlogiston, aether, aeon, angel, arachnid, rhythm and 346 more...
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Test Prep or Just for fun
Building a list for standardized test prep or just for learning some new words! Please add any words that you feel are important for the SAT/GRE/GMAT etc...
throng, morass, parley, facile, kismet, strife, jetsam, carrion, annex, harbinger, vestige, surreptitious and 575 more...
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1100
abound, technology, branch of knowled..., prognosticate, automaton, matron, an older married ..., realm, special field of ..., kingdom, annals, historical records and 981 more...
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Rare Words - A
Not just rare words, but thousands of RARE WORDS WITH DEFINITIONS.
If you want to see the definitions, too, go to
http://phrontistery.i...aba, abacinate, abactor, abaculus, abaft, abampere, abapical, abarticular, abasement, abasia, abask, abatis and 1214 more...
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GRE 2014
abase, abate, abdicate, aberrant, abeyance, abhor, abjure, abortive, abound, abrasive, abreast, abridge and 1577 more...
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Rhetorical Devices
trope, wellerism, antimetabole, syncope, open-list, accismus, abating, abbaser, abecedarian, abcisio, ablatio, abominatio and 425 more...
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Realia from Everywhere
Culturally defined terms and expressions from the four corners of the world
fjord, mistral steppe, tornado, tsunami, polder, kiwi, koala, sequoia, Abominable Snowman, paprika, spaghetti, empanada and 299 more...
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phrontistery - a
from phrontistery.info
aba, abacinate, abactor, abaculus, abaft, abampere, abapical, abarticular, abasement, abasia, abask, abatis and 1214 more...
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LIT - stylistic schemes & rhetorical ...
polyptoton, polysyndeton, aureation, pleonasm, anacoluthon, anadiplosis, anaphora, anastrophe, antistrophe, antithesis, aporia, aposiopesis and 34 more...
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Unfamiliar words from Cat's Cradle by...
conveyances, folly, anecdotes, parable, flue, dawdling, bough, spiraea, illustrious, unsung, enterprising, loafed and 116 more...
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csa
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List 2(starting at 260)
mammoth, overt, valor, aspire, relegate, bias, incisive, scurry, precipitate, singular, inveigh, repulse and 48 more...
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anti-
against, hostile; operating against; preventing, curing, neutralizing
antilabor, antiballistic, antitoxin, antiperistalsis, antipope, antichrist, antithesis, anti-inflammatory, antimatter, antibiotic, antibody, anticlimax and 1 more...
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Terms for AP Lit
This list is designed to be a reference for my AP Lit. students
metonymy, synecdoche, metaphor, simile, litotes, satire, irony, sarcasm, invective, bathos, broadside, characterization and 28 more...
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1000 words
abdicate, aberration, abet, abide, abject, ablution, abnegate, aboriginal, abortive, abrogate, abstemious, abstruse and 78 more...
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