antithetical

adjective

an·ti·thet·i·cal ˌan-tə-ˈthe-ti-kəl

variants or less commonly antithetic

ˌan-tə-ˈthe-tik

Synonyms of antithetical next

: being in direct and unequivocal opposition : directly opposite or opposed

… some see the idea of a museum for rock & roll as antithetical to the music's rebellious ethic …—

Al Weisel

: constituting or marked by antithesis

antithetical conflict

antithetically

ˌan-tə-ˈthe-ti-k(ə-)lē

adverb

Did you know?

Antithetical and antithesis come from Greek antitithenai ("to oppose"). The oldest sense of antithesis refers to a language pattern that contrasts parallel ideas, as in "action, not words" or "they promised freedom and provided slavery," and antithetical originally referred to anything that was marked by such antithesis. For example, you could say "The phrase 'action, not words' is an antithetical construction." It is more common, however, for antithesis to mean "the exact opposite" and for antithetical to mean "directly opposite."

Choose the Right Synonym for antithetical

opposite, contradictory, contrary, antithetical mean being so far apart as to be or seem irreconcilable.

opposite applies to things in sharp contrast or in conflict.

opposite views on foreign aid

contradictory applies to two things that completely negate each other so that if one is true or valid the other must be untrue or invalid.

made contradictory predictions about whether the market would rise or fall

contrary implies extreme divergence or diametrical opposition.

contrary assessments of the war situation

antithetical stresses clear and unequivocal diametrical opposition.

a law that is antithetical to the very idea of democracy

Examples of antithetical in a Sentence

the antithetical forces of good and evil spiritual concerns and ideals that are antithetical to the materialism embraced by modern society

Recent Examples on the Web Rather, music as vocation in the midst of the pandemic became antithetical to the joy that Jenkins had spent her life cultivating. —

Madelyn Dawson, SPIN, 12 July 2024 Snider also lashed out at Trump supporters who co-opted his hit song, saying the lyrics were antithetical to their beliefs. —

David Faris, Newsweek, 10 July 2024 This moral absolutism is antithetical to the university’s goal of advancing knowledge and critical inquiry. —

Jeffrey Koseff, Washington Post, 8 July 2024 The majority-Democrat city had historically viewed the Republican governor's hard-line policies as antithetical to its stance of welcoming immigrants. —

Lauren Villagran, USA TODAY, 11 June 2024 See all Example Sentences for antithetical

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'antithetical.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.