Antonyms

Antonyms

Definition
-describe words that have opposite meanings
-divided into 3 main categories

Binary Antonyms
- two possible outcomes and are not gradable, only 2 alternatives
Eg: when we say a person is not dead, it means he is alive. We cannot say that he is half dead.
When we say a person is not a male, it means he is a female. We cannot say that he is unisex
- words that imply the negative of each other (2 word set)

Relational Antonyms
-words that are symmetry in meaning : one cannot be used without the other
-same situation with 2 opposites and both opposites must exist
Eg:
+Jane is John's wife and John is Jane's husband
+the ball is above the chair, the chair is below the ball.
+the shopkeeper sold the thing to the boy and the boy bought the thing from the shopkeeper
-not applicable to only nouns but also verbs
Eg:
+buy---sell
+teacher-----student

Gradable Antonyms
-the negative of one does not imply the other
Eg:
+not hot does not mean cold
+not smart does not mean stupid
-modified in terms of degree
-the norms are dependent on the phenomena itself
Eg: whether someone is old or young would depend on the norm of young and old
-a young planet is older than a grandfather
-but a young man is older than an old worker bee with only a lifespan of 1 year
-placed on a continuum where the 2 extremes are separated by many possibilities
Eg:
not good does not necessarily mean that it is bad. it can be fair, satisfactory