antithetical
an-ti-THET-i-kul · adjective
Directly opposed to or incompatible with something.
Memory connection
Picture “anti-the-tickle”
One side of a square chants against tickling while the other holds a pro-giggle parade. Their positions are direct opposites.
The sound cue helps you reach the scene; the action in the scene carries you from the scene to the definition.
Use it accurately
Meaning in context
Secret surveillance is antithetical to the group’s stated commitment to transparency.
The proposal’s emphasis on speed was antithetical to her careful approach.
Antithetical usually appears with to, not with. It signals a fundamental opposition of principles, qualities, or aims rather than a minor difference.
Common patterns
- antithetical to
- seem antithetical
- fundamentally antithetical
Quick check
Can you retrieve the meaning?
Which pair is most clearly antithetical?
Choose an answer, then explain it in your own words.