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Each word in the pair is the antithesis of the other. A word may have more than one antonym. There are three categories of antonyms identified by the nature of the relationship between the opposed meanings. Gradable antonyms. A gradable antonym is one of a pair of words with opposite meanings where the two meanings lie on a continuous spectrum.
Oxymoron. Oxymorons are words that communicate contradictions. An oxymoron (plurals: oxymorons and oxymora) is a figure of speech that juxtaposes concepts with opposite meanings within a word or in a phrase that is a self-contradiction. As a rhetorical device, an oxymoron illustrates a point to communicate and reveal a paradox.
Contronym. A contronym, contranym or autoantonym [1] is a word with two meanings that are opposite each other. For example, the word cleave can mean "to cut apart" or "to bind together". This feature is also called enantiosemy, [2] [3] enantionymy ( enantio- means "opposite"), antilogy or autoantonymy.
An example of the relationship between hyponyms and hypernym. Hypernymy and hyponymy are the semantic relations between a generic term (hypernym) and a specific instance of it (hyponym). The hypernym is also called a supertype, umbrella term, or blanket term. The hyponym is a subtype of the hypernym.
Converse (semantics) In linguistics, converses or relational antonyms are pairs of words that refer to a relationship from opposite points of view, such as parent/child or borrow/lend. [1] [2] The relationship between such words is called a converse relation. [2] Converses can be understood as a pair of words where one word implies a ...
A binary opposition (also binary system) is a pair of related terms or concepts that are opposite in meaning. 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 ...
A heteronym (also known as a heterophone) is a word that has a different pronunciation and meaning from another word but the same spelling. These are homographs that are not homophones. Thus, lead (the metal) and lead (a leash) are heteronyms, but mean (average) and mean (intend) are not, since they are pronounced the same.
Noun/adjective doublets. In particular, the use of Latinate words in the sciences gives us pairs with a native Germanic noun and a Latinate (or Ancient Greek -derived) adjective: animals: ant / formic, bee / apian, bird / avian, crow / corvine, cod / gadoid, carp / cyprine, fish / piscine, mew / larine, wasp / vespine, butterfly ...