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ANTONYM
ANTONYM. One of two WORDS or other expressions that have opposite meanings: fast and slow, hot and cold. Some words are antonymous in some contexts but not others: straight is generally the opposite of bent/curved, but is the antonym of gay in the context of homosexuality. Linguists identify three types of antonymy: (1) Gradable antonyms, which operate on a continuum: (very) big, (very) small. Such pairs often occur in binomial phrases with and: (blow) hot and cold, (search) high and low. (2) Complementary antonyms, which express an either/or relationship: dead or alive, male or female. (3) Converse or relational antonyms, expressing reciprocity: borrow or lend, buy or sell, wife or husband. See SEMANTICS, SYNONYM.
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TOM McARTHUR. "ANTONYM." Concise Oxford Companion to the English Language. 1998. Encyclopedia.com. 14 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. TOM McARTHUR. "ANTONYM." Concise Oxford Companion to the English Language. 1998. Encyclopedia.com. (February 14, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O29-ANTONYM.html TOM McARTHUR. "ANTONYM." Concise Oxford Companion to the English Language. 1998. Retrieved February 14, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O29-ANTONYM.html |
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antonym
an·to·nym / ˈantəˌnim/ • n. Linguistics a word opposite in meaning to another (e.g., bad and good). DERIVATIVES: an·ton·y·mous / anˈtänəməs/ adj. |
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"antonym." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. 14 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "antonym." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. (February 14, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-antonym.html "antonym." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Retrieved February 14, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-antonym.html |
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antonym
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T. F. HOAD. "antonym." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 14 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. T. F. HOAD. "antonym." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (February 14, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-antonym.html T. F. HOAD. "antonym." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved February 14, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-antonym.html |
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antonym
antonym a word opposite in meaning to another (e.g. bad and good).
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ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "antonym." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. 14 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "antonym." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. (February 14, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-antonym.html ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "antonym." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Retrieved February 14, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-antonym.html |
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antonym
antonym
•bedim, brim, crim, dim, glim, grim, Grimm, gym, him, hymn, Jim, Kim, limb, limn, nim, prim, quim, rim, scrim, shim, Sim, skim, slim, swim, Tim, trim, vim, whim
•poem • goyim • cherubim • Hasidim
•seraphim, teraphim
•Elohim • Sikkim • Joachim • prelim
•forelimb • Muslim • Blenheim
•paynim • minim • pseudonym
•homonym • anonym • synonym
•eponym • acronym • antonym
•metonym • Antrim • megrim
•Leitrim • pilgrim • Purim • interim
•passim • maxim • kibbutzim
•Midrashim • literatim
•seriatim, verbatim
•victim
•system • ecosystem • subsystem
•item • Ashkenazim
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Cite this article
"antonym." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. 14 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "antonym." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. (February 14, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-antonym.html "antonym." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Retrieved February 14, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-antonym.html |
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