antithetical

<font size="-1" face="arial, helvetica"> <p> <strong> <font color="#000066">Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 4, 2022 is:</font> </strong> </p> <p> <strong>antithetical</strong> &#149; \an-tuh-THET-ih-kul\&nbsp; &#149; <em>adjective</em><br /> <p><em>Antithetical</em> means "directly opposite of or opposed."</p> <p>// The question asks students to describe and analyze the <em>antithetical</em> forces of good and evil in the story.</p> <p><a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/antithetical">See the entry ></a></p> </p> <p> <strong>Examples:</strong><br /> <p>"In all seriousness, area trails can get crowded, particularly during holidays, and an adventure with too many others, for some, is <em>antithetical</em> to their preferred outdoor experience." — David Jasper, <em>The Bulletin</em> (Bend, Oregon), 26 Nov. 2021</p> </p> <p> <strong>Did you know?</strong><br /> <p><em>Antithetical</em> and <em><a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/antithesis">antithesis</a></em> come from Greek <em>antitithenai</em> ("to oppose"). The oldest sense of <em>antithesis</em> refers to a language pattern that contrasts parallel ideas, as in "action, not words" or "they promised freedom and provided slavery," and <em>antithetical</em> originally referred to anything that was marked by such antithesis. For example, you could say "The phrase 'action, not words' is an antithetical construction." It is more common, however, for <em>antithesis</em> to mean "the exact opposite" and for <em>antithetical</em> to mean "directly opposite."</p> <br /><br /> </p> </font>