first three lectures

1. introdusing...

Definition

An antonym is a word having ameaning opposite to that of another word, such as hot andcoldshort and tall. (See "Three Types of Antonyms," below.)Antonym is the antonym ofsynonym. Adjective:antonymous. Another word forantonym is counterterm.

Antonymy is the sense relation that exists between words which are opposite in meaning. Edward Finnegan defines antonymy as "a binary relationship between terms with complementary meanings" (Language: Its Structure and Use, 2012).

It's sometimes said that antonymy occurs most often among adjectives, but as Steven Jones et al. point out, it's more accurate to say that "antonym relations are more central to the adjective classes than to other classes" (Antonyms in English, 2012). Nouns can be antonyms (for example, courage andcowardice), as can verbs (arrive and depart), adverbs (carefully andcarelessly), and even prepositions (above and below).