Contronym
noun
noun ·Rare ·Advanced level
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A word that has two opposing meanings, such as cleave (“stick together” or “split apart”).
"Near-synonym: enantioseme"
Synonyms
All synonymsEtymology
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.