Is antithesis a word

Antithesis Definition

What is antithesis? Here’s a quick and simple definition:

Antithesis is a figure of speech that juxtaposes two contrasting or opposing ideas, usually within parallel grammatical structures. For instance, Neil Armstrong used antithesis when he stepped onto the surface of the moon in 1969 and said, «That’s one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.» This is an example of antithesis because the two halves of the sentence mirror each other in grammatical structure, while together the two halves emphasize the incredible contrast between the individual experience of taking an ordinary step, and the extraordinary progress that Armstrong’s step symbolized for the human race.

Some additional key details about antithesis:

• Antithesis works best when it is used in conjunction with parallelism (successive phrases that use the same grammatical structure), since the repetition of structure makes the contrast of the content of the phrases as clear as possible.
• The word «antithesis» has another meaning, which is to describe something as being the opposite of another thing. For example, «love is the antithesis of selfishness.» This guide focuses only on antithesis as a literary device.
• The word antithesis has its origins in the Greek word antithenai, meaning «to oppose.» The plural of antithesis is antitheses.

How to Pronounce Antithesis

Here’s how to pronounce antithesis: an-tith-uh-sis

Antithesis and Parallelism

Often, but not always, antithesis works in tandem with parallelism. In parallelism, two components of a sentence (or pair of sentences) mirror one another by repeating grammatical elements. The following is a good example of both antithesis and parallelism:

To err is human, to forgive divine.

The two clauses of the sentence are parallel because each starts off with an infinitive verb and ends with an adjective («human» and «divine»). The mirroring of these elements then works to emphasize the contrast in their content, particularly in the very strong opposite contrast between «human» and «divine.»

Antithesis Without Parallelism

In most cases, antitheses involve parallel elements of the sentence—whether a pair of nouns, verbs, adjectives, or other grammar elements. However, it is also possible to have antithesis without such clear cut parallelism. In the Temptations Song «My Girl,» the singer uses antithesis when he says:

«When it’s cold outside, I’ve got the month of May.»

Here the sentence is clearly cut into two clauses on either side of the comma, and the contrasting elements are clear enough. However, strictly speaking there isn’t true parallelism here because «cold outside» and «month of May» are different types of grammatical structures (an adjective phrase and a noun phrase, respectively).

Antithesis vs. Related Terms

Three literary terms that are often mistakenly used in the place of antithesis are juxtaposition, oxymoron, and foil. Each of these three terms does have to do with establishing a relationship of difference between two ideas or characters in a text, but beyond that there are significant differences between them.

Antithesis vs. Juxtaposition

In juxtaposition, two things or ideas are placed next to one another to draw attention to their differences or similarities. In juxtaposition, the pairing of two ideas is therefore not necessarily done to create a relationship of opposition or contradiction between them, as is the case with antithesis. So, while antithesis could be a type of juxtaposition, juxtaposition is not always antithesis.

Antithesis vs. Oxymoron

In an oxymoron, two seemingly contradictory words are placed together because their unlikely combination reveals a deeper truth. Some examples of oxymorons include:

• Sweet sorrow
• Cruel kindness
• Living dead

The focus of antithesis is opposites rather than contradictions. While the words involved in oxymorons seem like they don’t belong together (until you give them deeper thought), the words or ideas of antithesis do feel like they belong together even as they contrast as opposites. Further, antitheses seldom function by placing the two words or ideas right next to one another, so antitheses are usually made up of more than two words (as in, «I’d rather be among the living than among the dead»).

Antithesis vs. Foil

Some Internet sources use «antithesis» to describe an author’s decision to create two characters in a story that are direct opposites of one another—for instance, the protagonist and antagonist. But the correct term for this kind of opposition is a foil: a person or thing in a work of literature that contrasts with another thing in order to call attention to its qualities. While the sentence «the hare was fast, and the tortoise was slow» is an example of antithesis, if we step back and look at the story as a whole, the better term to describe the relationship between the characters of the tortoise and the hare is «foil,» as in, «The character of the hare is a foil of the tortoise.»

Antithesis Examples

Antithesis in Literature

Below are examples of antithesis from some of English literature’s most acclaimed writers — and a comic book!

Antithesis in Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities

In the famous opening lines of A Tale of Two Cities, Dickens sets out a flowing list of antitheses punctuated by the repetition of the word «it was» at the beginning of each clause (which is itself an example of the figure of speech anaphora). By building up this list of contrasts, Dickens sets the scene of the French Revolution that will serve as the setting of his tale by emphasizing the division and confusion of the era. The overwhelming accumulation of antitheses is also purposefully overdone; Dickens is using hyperbole to make fun of the «noisiest authorities» of the day and their exaggerated claims. The passage contains many examples of antithesis, each consisting of one pair of contrasting ideas that we’ve highlighted to make the structure clearer.

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way—in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.

Antithesis in John Milton’s Paradise Lost

In this verse from Paradise Lost, Milton’s anti-hero, Satan, claims he’s happier as the king of Hell than he could ever have been as a servant in Heaven. He justifies his rebellion against God with this pithy phrase, and the antithesis drives home the double contrast between Hell and Heaven, and between ruling and serving.

Better to reign in Hell than serve in Heaven.

Antithesis in William Shakespeare’s Othello

As the plot of Othello nears its climax, the antagonist of the play, Iago, pauses for a moment to acknowledge the significance of what is about to happen. Iago uses antithesis to contrast the two opposite potential outcomes of his villainous plot: either events will transpire in Iago’s favor and he will come out on top, or his treachery will be discovered, ruining him.

This is the night
That either makes me or fordoes me quite.

In this passage, the simple word «either» functions as a cue for the reader to expect some form of parallelism, because the «either» signals that a contrast between two things is coming.

Antithesis in William Shakespeare’s Hamlet

Shakespeare’s plays are full of antithesis, and so is Hamlet’s most well-known «To be or not to be» soliloquy. This excerpt of the soliloquy is a good example of an antithesis that is not limited to a single word or short phrase. The first instance of antithesis here, where Hamlet announces the guiding question («to be or not to be«) is followed by an elaboration of each idea («to be» and «not to be») into metaphors that then form their own antithesis. Both instances of antithesis hinge on an «or» that divides the two contrasting options.

To be or not to be, that is the question:
Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,
And by opposing end them…

Antithesis in T.S. Eliot’s «Four Quartets»

In this excerpt from his poem «Four Quartets,» T.S. Eliot uses antithesis to describe the cycle of life, which is continuously passing from beginning to end, from rise to fall, and from old to new.

In my beginning is my end. In succession
Houses rise and fall, crumble, are extended,
Are removed, destroyed, restored, or in their place
Is an open field, or a factory, or a by-pass.
Old stone to new building, old timber to new fires…

Antithesis in Green Lantern’s Oath

Comic book writers know the power of antithesis too! In this catchy oath, Green Lantern uses antithesis to emphasize that his mission to defeat evil will endure no matter the conditions.

In brightest day, in blackest night,
No evil shall escape my sight.
Let those who worship evil’s might
Beware my power—Green lantern’s light!

While most instances of antithesis are built around an «or» that signals the contrast between the two parts of the sentence, the Green Lantern oath works a bit differently. It’s built around an implied «and» (to be technical, that first line of the oath is an asyndeton that replaces the «and» with a comma), because members of the Green Lantern corps are expressing their willingness to fight evil in all places, even very opposite environments.

Antithesis in Speeches

Many well-known speeches contain examples of antithesis. Speakers use antithesis to drive home the stakes of what they are saying, sometimes by contrasting two distinct visions of the future.

Antithesis in Patrick Henry’s Speech to the Second Virginia Convention, 1775

This speech by famous American patriot Patrick Henry includes one of the most memorable and oft-quoted phrases from the era of the American Revolution. Here, Henry uses antithesis to emphasize just how highly he prizes liberty, and how deadly serious he is about his fight to achieve it.

Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take: but as for me, give me liberty or give me death.

Antithesis in Martin Luther King Jr.’s Oberlin Commencement Address

In this speech by one of America’s most well-known orators, antithesis allows Martin Luther King Jr. to highlight the contrast between two visions of the future; in the first vision, humans rise above their differences to cooperate with one another, while in the other humanity is doomed by infighting and division.

We must all learn to live together as brothers—or we will all perish together as fools.

Antithesis in Songs

In songs, contrasting two opposite ideas using antithesis can heighten the dramatic tension of a difficult decision, or express the singer’s intense emotion—but whatever the context, antithesis is a useful tool for songwriters mainly because opposites are always easy to remember, so lyrics that use antithesis tend to stick in the head.

Antithesis in «Should I Stay or Should I Go» by The Clash (1981)

In this song by The Clash, the speaker is caught at a crossroads between two choices, and antithesis serves as the perfect tool to express just how confused and conflicted he is. The rhetorical question—whether to stay or to go—presents two opposing options, and the contrast between his lover’s mood from one day (when everything is «fine») to the next (when it’s all «black») explains the difficulty of his choice.

One day it’s fine and next it’s black
So if you want me off your back
Well, come on and let me know
Should I stay or should I go?

Should I stay or should I go now?
Should I stay or should I go now?
If I go, there will be trouble
If I stay it will be double…

Antithesis in «My Girl» by the Temptations (1965)

In this song, the singer uses a pair of metaphors to describe the feeling of joy that his lover brings him. This joy is expressed through antithesis, since the singer uses the miserable weather of a cloudy, cold day as the setting for the sunshine-filled month of May that «his girl» makes him feel inside, emphasizing the power of his emotions by contrasting them with the bleak weather.

I’ve got sunshine on a cloudy day
When it’s cold outside I’ve got the month of May
Well I guess you’d say,
What can make me feel this way?
My girl, my girl, my girl
Talkin’ bout my girl.

Why Do Writers Use Antithesis?

Fundamentally, writers of all types use antithesis for its ability to create a clear contrast. This contrast can serve a number of purposes, as shown in the examples above. It can:

• Present a stark choice between two alternatives.
• Convey magnitude or range (i.e. «in brightest day, in darkest night» or «from the highest mountain, to the deepest valley»).
• Express strong emotions.
• Create a relationship of opposition between two separate ideas.
• Accentuate the qualities and characteristics of one thing by placing it in opposition to another.

Whatever the case, antithesis almost always has the added benefit of making language more memorable to listeners and readers. The use of parallelism and other simple grammatical constructions like «either/or» help to establish opposition between concepts—and opposites have a way of sticking in the memory.

Other Helpful Antithesis Resources

• The Wikipedia page on Antithesis: A useful summary with associated examples, along with an extensive account of antithesis in the Gospel of Matthew.
• Sound bites from history: A list of examples of antithesis in famous political speeches from United States history — with audio clips!
• A blog post on antithesis: This quick rundown of antithesis focuses on a quote you may know from Muhammad Ali’s philosophy of boxing: «Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee.»

Antithesis
is
a good example of a lexico-syntactical stylistic device:
syntactically, antithesis is just another case of parallel
constructions. But unlike parallelism, which is indifferent to the
semantics of its components, the two parts of an an­tithesis must
be semantically opposite to each other, as in the sad max­im of
O. Wilde: «Some people have much to live on, and little to live
for», where «much» and «little» present a
pair of antonyms, supported by the contextual opposition of
postpositions «on» and «for». Another example:
«If we don’t know who gains by his death we do know who loses by
it.» (Ch.) Here, too, we have the leading antonymous pair
«gain—lose» and the supporting one, made stronger by the
emphatic form of the affirmative construction—»don’t know / do
know».

Antithesis
as a semantic opposition emphasized by its realization in similar
structures, is often observed on lower levels of language hi­erarchy,
especially on the morphemic level where two antonymous af­fixes
create a powerful effect of contrast: «Their pre-money wives did
not go together with their post-money daughters.» (H.)

The
main function of antithesis is to stress the heterogeneity of the
described phenomenon, to show that the latter is a dialectical unity
of two (or more) opposing features.

Exercise
I. Discuss
the semantic centers and structural peculiari­ties of antithesis:

1.
Mrs. Nork had a large home and a small husband. (S.L.)

2.
In marriage the upkeep of woman is often the downfall of man. (Ev.)

3.
Don’t use big words. They mean so little. (O.W.)

4.
I like big parties. They’re so intimate. At small parties there isn’t
any privacy. (Sc.F.)

5.
There is Mr. Guppy, who was at first as open as the sun at noon, but
who suddenly shut up as close as midnight. (D.)

6.
Such a scene as there was when Kit came in! Such a confusion of
tongues, before the circumstances were related and the proofs
disclosed! Such a dead silence when all was told! (D.)

7.
Rup wished he could be swift, accurate, compassionate and stern
instead of clumsy and vague and sentimental. (I.M.)

8.
His coat-sleeves being a great deal too long, and his trousers a
great deal too short, he appeared ill at ease in his clothes. (D.)

9.
There was something eerie about the apartment house, an un­earthly
quiet that was a combination of overcarpeting and underoccupancy.
(H.St.)

10.
It is safer to be married to the man you can be happy with than to
the man you cannot be happy without. (E.)

11.
Then came running down stairs a gentleman with whiskers, out of
breath. (D.)

12.
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age
of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief,
it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was
the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the win­ter
of despair; we had everything before us, we had nothing be­fore
us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going di­rect
the other way—in short the period was so far like the present
period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being
received for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of
compar­ison only. (D.)

13.Cannery
Row in Monterey in California is a poem, a stink, a grating noise, a
quality of light, a tone, a habit, a nostalgia, a
dream.
Cannery Row is the gathered and scattered, tin and iron, and rust and
splintered wood, chipped pavement and weedy lots and junk heaps,
sardine canneries of corrugated iron, honky tonks, restaurants and
whore houses and little crowded groceries and laboratories and
flophouses. Its inhabitants are, as the man once said «Whores,
pimps, gamblers and sons of bitches», by which he meant
Everybody. Had the man looked through anoth­er peephole he might
have said «Saints and angels and martyrs and holy men» and
he would have meant the same thing. (J.St.)

ASSIGNMENTS
FOR SELF-CONTROL

• Comment
  on linguistic properties of sentences which are fore­grounded in
  lexico-syntactical stylistic devices.

• What
  do you know about antithesis? Why is it viewed separately from
  parallel constructions?

• Have
  you ever met, in your home-reading, cases of antithesis in which the
  structure of a word was also used in the creation of the SD?

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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Antithesis (Greek for «setting opposite», from ἀντι- «against» and θέσις «placing») is used in writing or speech either as a proposition that contrasts with or reverses some previously mentioned proposition, or when two opposites are introduced together for contrasting effect. This is based on the logical phrase or term.^[1][2]

Antithesis can be defined as «a figure of speech involving a seeming contradiction of ideas, words, clauses, or sentences within a balanced grammatical structure. Parallelism of expression serves to emphasize opposition of ideas».^[3]

An antithesis must always contain two ideas within one statement. The ideas may not be structurally opposite, but they serve to be functionally opposite when comparing two ideas for emphasis.^[4]

According to Aristotle, the use of an antithesis makes the audience better understand the point the speaker is trying to make. Further explained, the comparison of two situations or ideas makes choosing the correct one simpler. Aristotle states that antithesis in rhetoric is similar to syllogism due to the presentation of two conclusions within a statement.^[5]

Antitheses are used to strengthen an argument by using either exact opposites or simply contrasting ideas, but can also include both. They typically make a sentence more memorable for the reader or listener through balance and emphasis of the words.^[6]

Rhetorical antithesis[edit]

In rhetoric, antithesis is a figure of speech involving the bringing out of a contrast in the ideas by an obvious contrast in the words, clauses, or sentences, within a parallel grammatical structure.^[7]

The term «antithesis» in rhetoric goes back to the 4th century BC, for example Aristotle, Rhetoric, 1410a, in which he gives a series of examples.

An antithesis can be a simple statement contrasting two things, using a parallel structure:

• I defended the Republic as a young man; I shall not desert her now that I am old. (Cicero, 2nd Philippic, 2.118)

Often there is a double antithesis, as in the following proverb, where «man» is opposed to «God», and «proposes» is contrasted with «disposes»:

• Man proposes, God disposes. (anonymous)

Another type is of the form «not A, but B» (negative-positive), in which the point made is emphasised by first being contrasted with its negative:

• I came not to bring peace but a sword. (St Matthew’s Gospel, 10:34).

Another type involves an antimetabole (AB, BA word order), in which the contrasted words switch places:

• In peace you long for war, and in war you long for peace.
• Two things show feebleness of mind: holding your breath at the time for speaking, and speaking when you should be silent. (Saadi)

The negative-positive antithesis and the antimetabole-antithesis can be combined, as in the following sentence:

• Ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country. – Inauguration of John F. Kennedy, 1961.

An antithesis can also be combined with synonymous parallelism. In the following example, the first (A, A’) and second couplet (B, B’) are parallel synonymously with the same adverb and verb combination distinguishing the couplets: “still do”/”still be”//”still do”/”still be.” An antithesis is formed with line A contrasting “evil” with “right” in line B. Line A’ contrasts the “filthy” with the “holy” in line B’.^[8]

• A Let the evildoer still do evil,

• A’ and the filthy still be filthy,

• B and the righteous still do right.

• B’ and the holy still be holy (Revelation 22:11).

Some literary examples[edit]

Some other examples of antithesis are:

• Give every man thy ear, but few thy voice. (William Shakespeare, Hamlet)
• For many are called, but few are chosen. (Matthew 22:14)
• Never give in — never, never, never, never, in nothing great or small, large or petty, never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense. (by Winston Churchill)
• It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way… (Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities)
• We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools. (Martin Luther King Jr., speech at St. Louis, 1964.)
• The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. (Abraham Lincoln, The Gettysburg Address, 1863.)
• He who desires peace, should prepare for war. (Vegetius, Epitoma Rei Militaris, book 3, introduction.)
• For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall understand fully, even as I have been fully understood. (St Paul, 1st Epistle to the Corinthians 13:12, Revised Standard Version-Catholic Edition)
• My men have become women, and my women, men. (King Xerxes at the Battle of Salamis (480 BC), according to Herodotus 8.88.3)
• Senator, in everything I said about Iraq I turned out to be right and you turned out to be wrong. (George Galloway at a US Senate hearing, May 2005.)^[9]
• I’m not saying that this or that statue was stolen from there; I’m saying this, that you, Verres, left not one single statue in Aspendus. (Cicero, In Verrem, 2.1.53.)
• I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. (Martin Luther King Jr., 1963.)
• For contemplation he and valour formed, For softness she and sweet attractive grace; He for God only, she for God in him. (John Milton, Paradise Lost)

The «Antitheses» in St Matthew’s Gospel[edit]

Matthew’s Antitheses is the traditional name given to a section of the Sermon on the Mount^{[Matt. 5:17–48]} where Jesus takes six well known prescriptions of the Mosaic Law and calls his followers to do more than the Law requires. Protestant scholars since the Reformation have generally believed that Jesus was setting his teaching over against false interpretations of the Law current at the time. «Antithesis» was the name given by Marcion of Sinope to a manifesto in which he contrasted the Old Testament with the New Testament and defined what came to be known as Marcionism.

In philosophical discussion[edit]

In dialectics (any formal system of reasoning that arrives at the truth by the exchange of logical arguments) antithesis is the juxtaposition of contrasting ideas, usually in a balanced way. The logical arguments are said to be stated in the order thesis, antithesis, synthesis.

Although this style of philosophical discussion (stating a point of view, then its opposite, and finally drawing a conclusion) was commonly used by ancient philosophers,^[10] the use of the trio «thesis, antithesis, synthesis» itself to describe it goes back only to the 18th century, to a work published in 1794 by the German philosopher Johann Gottlieb Fichte.^[11]

The phrase is sometimes incorrectly stated to originate from the German philosopher Hegel. However, Hegel never actually used the trio of terms except once in a lecture, in which he reproached Immanuel Kant for having «everywhere posited thesis, antithesis, synthesis».^[12]

See also[edit]

• Alternative hypothesis
• Dialectical materialism
• Dialectic
• Opposite
• Antimetabole
• Figure of speech

References[edit]

• [1] — Antithesis in Plato’s Euthydemus and Lysis

Antithesis definition: Antithesis is a literary and rhetorical device where two seemingly contrasting ideas are expressed through parallel structure.

What does antithesis mean? An antithesis is just that—an “anti” “thesis.” An antithesis is used in writing to express ideas that seem contradictory.

An antithesis uses parallel structure of two ideas to communicate this contradiction.

Example of Antithesis:

• “Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee.” –Muhammad Ali

This example of antithesis is a famous quotation from boxer Muhammad Ali. The antithesis is found in multiple aspects of this quotation.

First, the structure is parallel. Each “side” of the phrase has the same number of words and the same structure. Each uses a verb followed by a simile.

Second, the contracting elements of a butterfly and a bee seem contradictory. That is, a butterfly is light and airy while a bee is sharp and stinging. One person (a boxer, in this case) should not be able to possess these two qualities—this is why this is an antithesis.

However, Ali is trying to express how a boxer must be light on his feet yet quick with his fist.

Modern Examples of Antithesis

When he landed on the moon, American astronaut Neil Armstrong famously stated:

• “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.”

Through parallel structure, this quotation presents an antithesis. It seems contradictory that one action could be a “small step” and a “giant leap.”

However, this contradiction proposes that the action of landing on the moon might have just been a small physical step for the man Neil Armstrong, but it was a giant leap for the progress of mankind.

The Function of Antithesis

Primarily, writers employ antithesis for argument. As a literary or rhetorical device, a writer is trying to communicate a particular point that is best expressed through opposites. These extreme opposites emphasize that point.

An antithesis stands out in writing. Because it uses parallel structure, an antithesis physically stands out when interspersed among other syntactical structures. Furthermore, an antithesis presents contrasting ideas that cause the reader or audience to pause and consider the meaning and purpose.

Oftentimes, the meaning of an antithesis is not overtly clear. That is, a reader or audience must evaluate the statement to navigate the meaning.

Writers utilize antitheses very sparingly. Since its purpose is to cause an audience to pause and consider the argument, it must be used with purpose and intent.

Antithesis Example from Literature

Perhaps the most famous literary example of antithesis is the opening lines from Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities.

• “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity…”

From the beginning, Dickens presents two contradictory ideas in this antithesis.

How can it be the “best” and the “worst” of times? These two “times” should not be able to coexist.

Similarly, how can the setting of this novel also take place during an “age of wisdom” and an “age of foolishness?”

The antithesis continues.

Dickens opens his with these lines to set the tone for the rest of the novel. Clearly, there are two sides to this story, two tales of what is the truth. These two “sides” should not function peacefully. And, in fact, they do not. That, after all, is the “tale of two cities.”

Dickens sets up this disparity to set the tone for his novel, which will explore this topic.

Summary: What is an Antithesis?

Define antithesis: An antithesis consists of contrasting concepts presented in parallel structure.

Writers use antithesis to create emphasis to communicate an argument.

• Note: The plural form of antithesis is antitheses.

Contents

• 1 What is Antithesis?
• 2 Modern Examples of Antithesis
• 3 The Function of Antithesis
• 4 Antithesis Example from Literature
• 5 Summary: What is an Antithesis?

English[edit]

Etymology[edit]

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

Pronunciation[edit]

• IPA^(key): /æn.ˈtɪ.θə.sɪs/

Examples (rhetoric)
Abraham Lincoln, Gettysburg Address (1863) The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here.

Noun[edit]

antithesis (plural antitheses)

1. A proposition that is the diametric opposite of some other proposition.
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, A Manual of the Figures of Rhetoric, […], Doncaster: Printed by C. White, Baxter-Gate, →OCLC, page 22:

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

Antonyms[edit]

• epitome

Derived terms[edit]

Translations[edit]