Antithesis
noun /ænˈtɪθ.ə.sɪs/ — The direct opposite; a contrast of ideas
Definition
The direct opposite — or, in rhetoric, the juxtaposition of contrasting ideas to highlight the contrast between them. What stands in opposition to the thesis.
Beyond the definition
The opposite that clarifies. Things become most visible when set against their antithesis — we understand light through darkness, courage through fear, presence through absence.
Origin & history
From Greek 'antithesis' — 'anti' (against) + 'thesis' (something put down). What is put against. Aristotle identified antithesis as one of the fundamental figures of rhetoric.
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
'It was the best of times, it was the worst of times' — Dickens opening with antithesis to establish that both things were simultaneously true.
In Hegelian dialectic, the antithesis confronts the thesis and the conflict produces a synthesis.
She was the antithesis of everything he had expected — which was either the problem or the point.
How to use it
This entry uses a noun. Follow the examples for articles and singular or plural forms; not every noun takes “a” or “an.”
Choose “Antithesis” when the meaning fits your context: The direct opposite — or, in rhetoric, the juxtaposition of contrasting ideas to highlight the contrast between them. What stands in opposition to the thesis.
Synonyms
opposite, contrary, contrast, foil, inverse
Antonyms
Related words
Word in the Wild
See how this word appears in life, language and stories.
Illustrative sentences and imagined stories for learning — not verified sightings, interviews, or sourced quotations.
Fictional scene
Contrasting Seed and Chain
An orator gestures to contrast a fragile seedling in one hand against a heavy iron chain on their shoulder.
The visual juxtaposition of the growing plant and the industrial chain highlights the direct opposition between the two ideas, serving as a classic rhetorical antithesis.
Image credit: Wordspun · AI-generated conceptual illustration
Questions about this word
What does "Antithesis" mean?
Antithesis is noun meaning: The direct opposite; a contrast of ideas. The direct opposite — or, in rhetoric, the juxtaposition of contrasting ideas to highlight the contrast between them. What stands in opposition to the thesis.
Where does the word "Antithesis" come from?
From Greek 'antithesis' — 'anti' (against) + 'thesis' (something put down). What is put against. Aristotle identified antithesis as one of the fundamental figures of rhetoric.