anti

1 of 4

noun

plural antis
: one that is opposed
The group was divided into pros and antis.

anti

2 of 4

adjective

: opposed
the anti group

anti

3 of 4

preposition

: opposed to : against
They were anti big corporations.

anti-

4 of 4

prefix

ˌan-ˌtī,
ˌan-tē,
 also  before consonsants ˌan-ti
variants or ant- or anth-
1
a
: of the same kind but situated opposite, exerting energy in the opposite direction, or pursuing an opposite policy
anticlinal
b
: one that is opposite in kind to
anticlimax
2
a
: opposing or hostile to in opinion, sympathy, or practice
anti-Semite
b
: opposing in effect or activity
antacid
3
: serving to prevent, cure, or alleviate
antianxiety
4
: combating or defending against
antiaircraft
antimissile
5
: being or composed of antimatter
antiproton
antihydrogen

Examples of anti in a Sentence

Preposition if you ask me, she's anti anything that sounds like the least bit of fun

Word History

Etymology

Noun

anti-

Adjective

see anti-

Preposition

see anti-

Prefix

anti- from Middle English, from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French, from Latin, against, from Greek, from anti; ant- from Middle English, from Latin, against, from Greek, from anti; anth- from Latin, against, from Greek, from anti — more at ante-

First Known Use

Noun

1788, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1855, in the meaning defined above

Preposition

1817, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of anti was in 1788

Dictionary Entries Near anti

Cite this Entry

“Anti.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/anti. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

anti-

prefix
ˌant-i,
ˌant-ē,
ˌan-ˌtī
variants or ant- or anth-
1
: opposite in kind, position, or action
antihistamine
2
: opposed to
antisocial
3
: working against
antibacterial
antipollution
Etymology

Prefix

derived from Greek anti- "against"

More from Merriam-Webster on anti

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!