antithetic

C2+ Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ˌæntɪˈθɛtɪk/ UK /ˌantɪˈθɛtɪk/ See IPA manual

adj

Meanings

1

adj
directly opposed or contrasted; constituting an antithesis

Their values were so antithetic that compromise seemed impossible.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · directly opposed or... antithetical opposite contrary contrasting opposed contradictory

Opposites

identical similar alike corresponding

Word family

Derived forms antithetically

Related forms antithesis thesisthetic

Etymology

From Greek antithetikos ('setting in opposition'), from antithesis ('opposition'), from anti- ('against') + tithenai ('to set, place').

antithetikós Ancient Greek tithénai Ancient Greek

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives

# antithetic

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** ˌæntɪˈθɛtɪk
**IPA (UK):** ˌantɪˈθɛtɪk

## Meanings
1. directly opposed or contrasted; constituting an antithesis

## Examples
- Their values were so antithetic that compromise seemed impossible.

## Synonyms
- antithetical
- opposite
- contrary
- contrasting
- opposed
- contradictory

## Antonyms
- identical
- similar
- alike
- corresponding

## Derived Forms
- antithetically

## Related Forms
- antithesis
- thesis
- thetic

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: antithetikós
- Root: tithénai

## Etymology
From Greek antithetikos ('setting in opposition'), from antithesis ('opposition'), from anti- ('against') + tithenai ('to set, place').

## AI Etymology
antithetic comes from Greek antithetikos ('setting in opposition'), from antithesis ('opposition'), from anti- ('against') + tithenai ('to set, place'). Morphologically, the word is transparent as a compound: its parts remain visible in the modern spelling, while the older history of those parts supplies the deeper ancestry. In modern use, the adjective sense is "directly opposed or contrasted; constituting an antithesis", which keeps the etymology connected to the word's present dictionary value rather than treating it as a merely historical label. The wider word family includes related English forms such as antithesis, thesis, thetic and derivatives such as antithetically, showing how the same base continues to support neighboring English vocabulary. The principal historical forms in the chain include Ancient Greek antithetikós, Ancient Greek tithénai, which anchor the explanation in named linguistic material.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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