contronym

noun

1. A word that has two opposing meanings, such as cleave (“stick together” or “split apart”).

   Near-synonym: enantioseme

Where it comes from

From contr(a)- + -onym. Coined 1962 by Jack Herring. Note that the vowel of the suffix generally supersedes the vowel of the prefix, hence coined as contronym, rather than contranym.

Adapted from the Wiktionary entry contronym (CC BY-SA 4.0).

← contristcontubernal →

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