Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun Direct contrast; opposition.
  • noun The direct or exact opposite.
  • noun A figure of speech in which sharply contrasting ideas are juxtaposed in a balanced or parallel phrase or grammatical structure, as in
  • noun The second and contrasting part of such a juxtaposition.
  • noun The second stage of the Hegelian dialectic process, representing the opposite of the thesis.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun Opposition; contrast.
  • noun That which is opposed or contrasted, as one of two opposite judgments or propositions: in this sense opposed to thesis (which see). Specifically
  • noun 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.”

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun (Rhet.) An opposition or contrast of words or sentiments occurring in the same sentence; as, “The prodigal robs his heir; the miser robs himself.” “He had covertly shot at Cromwell; he how openly aimed at the Queen.”
  • noun The second of two clauses forming an antithesis.
  • noun Opposition; contrast.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A proposition that is the diametric opposite of some other proposition.
  • noun rhetoric A device by which two contrasting ideas are juxtaposed in parallel form.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun exact opposite
  • noun the juxtaposition of contrasting words or ideas to give a feeling of balance

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Late Latin, from Greek, from antitithenai, antithe-, to oppose : anti-, anti- + tithenai, to set; see dhē- in Indo-European roots.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Ancient Greek ἀντί (anti, "against") + θέσις (thesis, "position").

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Examples

  • And, of course, the antithesis is the dreaded bumper-to-bumper traffic jam, where we feel so out of control.

    Sunday Scribblings-Driving My Life 2006

  • Thus the antithesis is appropriate in the words following, "But we were gentle (the opposite of pressing weightily) among you" (1Th 2: 7).

    Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible 1871

  • 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.

    Archive 2007-04-01 Hal Duncan 2007

  • 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.

    THE HALLS OF PENTHEUS -- PART FIVE Hal Duncan 2007

  • 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.

    Think Progress » ThinkFast AM: July 7, 2006 2006

  • 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.

    Think Progress » ThinkFast AM: July 7, 2006 2006

  • 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.

    Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible 1871

  • The "men" is emphatic; men of sense; in antithesis to "vain boasting." mockest -- upbraidest God by complaints, "shall no man make thee ashamed?"

    Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible 1871

  • 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.

    Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible 1871

  • 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).

    Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible 1871

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