19 July 2016
antithesis
[an-tith-uh-sis]
noun, plural antitheses [an-tith-uh-seez]
1. opposition; contrast:
the antithesis of right and wrong.
2. the direct opposite (usually followed by of or to):
Her behavior was the very antithesis of cowardly.
3. Rhetoric.
the placing of a sentence or one of its parts against another to which it is opposed to form a balanced contrast of ideas, as in “Give me liberty or give me death.”.
the second sentence or part thus set in opposition, as “or give me death.”.
4. Philosophy. See under Hegelian dialectic.
Origin of antithesis
Latin
1520-1530; < Latin < Greek: opposition, equivalent to anti (ti) thé (nai) to oppose + -sis -sis. See anti-, thesis
Related forms
self-antithesis, noun
Can be confused
antithesis, synthesis, thesis.
Synonyms
2. opposite, reverse.
Hegelian dialectic
noun
1. an interpretive method, originally used to relate specific entities or events to the absolute idea, in which some assertible proposition (thesis) is necessarily opposed by an equally assertible and apparently contradictory proposition (antithesis) the mutual contradiction being reconciled on a higher level of truth by a third proposition (synthesis)
Dictionary.com
Examples from the Web for antithesis
Contemporary Examples
Laura Hillenbrand is the antithesis of the popular concept of a world-famous, bestselling author.
Laura Hillenbrand’s Acclaimed Bestsellers Haven’t Changed Her
Sandra McElwaine
December 20, 2011
Our fundamental values demand that America stand with demonstrators opposing a regime that is the antithesis of all we believe.
Leave Iran to the Iranians
Leslie H. Gelb
June 20, 2009
Anagram
in hastiest
siesta hint
at shiniest
Today’s quote
If a man insisted always on being serious, and never allowed himself a bit of fun and relaxation, he would go mad or become unstable without knowing it.
– Herodotus
On this day
19 July 64 AD – Rome’s Circus Maximus destroyed by fire, during the Great Fire of Rome.
19 July 1553 – 15 year old, Lady Jane Grey, the ‘Nine Day Queen’, deposed as Queen of England. On his deathbed, King Edward VI (also 15) named his cousin, Lady Jane, as his successor. She ‘ruled’ for 9 days before being deposed and charged with high treason, as was her husband, Lord Guildford Dudley. They were both executed in February 1554.
19 July 1799 – Rosetta Stone discovered by Napoleon’s expeditionary army in Egypt. The Rosetta Stone enabled the translation of hieroglyphs.
19 July 1940 – Adolf Hitler delivers his ‘Last Appeal to Reason’ speech, declaring his victory and appealing for Great Britain to surrender.
19 July 1947 – assassination of General Aung San, founder of modern day Burma and Burmese Army. Father of Aung San Suu Kyi, Burmese politician, activist and Nobel Peace Prize Recipient. Born 13 February 1915.
19 July 1976 – UK rock group, Deep Purple, breaks up.