contraposition

[ kon-truh-puh-zish-uhn ]

noun

1. placement opposite or against.
2. opposition, contrast, or antithesis.
3. Logic. the inference drawn from a proposition by negating its terms and changing their order, as by inferring “Not B implies not A” from “A implies B.”

contraposition

/ ˌkɒntrəpəˈzɪʃən /

noun

1. the act of placing opposite or against, esp in contrast or antithesis
2. logic the derivation of the contrapositive of a given categorial proposition

Word History and Origins

Origin of contraposition¹

First recorded in 1545–55, contraposition is from the Late Latin word contrāposition- (stem of contrāpositiō ). See contra ¹, position

Example Sentences

“Contraposition, judgments, labeling, lack of dialogue only feed the culture of contrasts, which we totally reject,” said the statement, appealing for cooperation “to avoid divisions.”

From Seattle Times

A new album on the Out of Your Head label, “Field of Action / contraposition,” documents complementary collaborations with two younger musicians.

From New York Times

And in Weston Olencki, a trombone player with an exceptional feel for extended technique and torrential riffing, he found a willing partner for a fixed composition, “contraposition.”

From New York Times

While perhaps a direct contraposition to point number one, it's worth remembering that Doc/Fest is a cross-platform, multimedia festival, as well as being a haven for the factually obsessed.

From The Guardian

They are all remarkable for harmonies attained by certain combinations of shade in gradations with colours in contraposition.

From Project Gutenberg