antithesis

Borrowed from Latin antithesis, itself a borrowing from Ancient Greek ἀντίθεσις (antíthesis). By surface analysis, anti- +‎ thesis.

• IPA^(key): /ænˈtɪ.θə.sɪs/

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antithesis (plural antitheses)

1. A proposition that is the diametric opposite of some other proposition.

   Hypernyms: opposite; antipode

   • 2016 September 6, Timothy Stanley, “How Phyllis Schlafly gave us Sarah Palin”, in CNN‎^[1]:

     Unless one final Schlafly paradox gets in the way. Before she died, the First Lady of the Conservative Movement endorsed Trump. That makes sense: Schlafly was a paleoconservative who was worried about immigration. But Trump has turned out to be the most unchivalrous candidate in living memory, the very antithesis of Schlafly’s ideal Christian standard.

   • 2025 March 25, Daisy Stephens, “Paddington vandals 'antithesis' of bear, says judge”, in BBC‎^[2]:

     On the night of the 2nd of March 2025, your actions were the antithesis of everything Paddington stands for.

2. (rhetoric) A device by which two contrasting ideas are juxtaposed in parallel form; a figure of speech arranged in this manner
   • 1835, L[arret] Langley, “[Rhetorical Figures.] Antithesis.”, in A Manual of the Figures of Rhetoric, […], Doncaster, South Yorkshire: […] C. White, […], →OCLC, page 22:

     Antithesis, opposing things to things,
     Oft from the contrast strength and beauty brings.

3. (philosophy) The second stage of a dialectical process in which the thesis is negated.

• epitome