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The relationship between opposites is known as opposition. A member of a pair of opposites can generally be determined by the question What is the opposite of X ? The term antonym (and the related antonymy) is commonly taken to be synonymous with opposite, but antonym also has other more restricted meanings. Graded (or gradable) antonyms are ...
The unity of opposites is the philosophical idea that opposites are interconnected due to the way each is defined in relation to the other. Their interdependence unites the seemingly opposed terms. Their interdependence unites the seemingly opposed terms.
Binary opposition is the system of language and/or thought by which two theoretical opposites are strictly defined and set off against one another. [1] It is the contrast between two mutually exclusive terms, such as on and off, up and down, left and right. [ 2 ]
For example, the word cleave can mean "to cut apart" or "to bind together". This feature is also called enantiosemy, [1] [2] enantionymy (enantio-means "opposite"), antilogy or autoantonymy. An enantiosemic term is by definition polysemic.
Antithesis (pl.: antitheses; Greek for "setting opposite", from ἀντι-"against" and θέσις "placing") is used in writing or speech either as a proposition that contrasts with or reverses some previously mentioned proposition, or when two opposites are introduced together for contrasting effect.
Antiphrasis is the rhetorical device of saying the opposite of what is actually meant in such a way that it is obvious what the true intention is. [1] Some authors treat and use antiphrasis just as irony, euphemism or litotes. [2] When the antiphrasal use is very common, the word can become an auto-antonym, [3] having opposite meanings ...
Understatement – a form of irony, sometimes in the form of litotes, in which something is represented as less than it really is, with the intent of drawing attention to and emphasizing the opposite meaning. Universal audience – an audience consisting of all humankind. Utterance – statement that could contain meaning about one's own person.
Own and belong are relational opposites i.e. "A owns B" is the same as "B belongs to A." Win and lose i.e. if someone wins, someone must lose. Fraction and whole i.e. if there is a fraction, there must be a whole. Above and below; Employer and employee; Parent and child; Teacher and student; Buy and sell; East and west; Predator and prey