anti

¹

[ an-tahy, an-tee ]

noun

, plural an·tis.

1. a person who is opposed to a particular practice, party, policy, action, etc.

anti-

²

1. a prefix meaning “against,” “opposite of,” “antiparticle of,” used in the formation of compound words ( anticline ); used freely in combination with elements of any origin ( antibody; antifreeze; antiknock; antilepton ).

anti

¹

/ ˈæntɪ /

adjective

1. opposed to a party, policy, attitude, etc

   he won't join because he is rather anti

noun

1. an opponent of a party, policy, etc

anti-

²

prefix

1. against; opposing

   antisocial

   anticlerical

2. opposite to

   antimere

   anticlimax

3. rival; false

   antipope

4. counteracting, inhibiting, or neutralizing

   antifreeze

   antihistamine

5. designating the antiparticle of the particle specified

   antineutron

anti–

1. A prefix whose basic meaning is “against.” It is used to form adjectives that mean “counteracting” (such as antiseptic, preventing infection). It is also used to form nouns referring to substances that counteract other substances (such as antihistamine, a substance counteracting histamine), and nouns meaning “something that displays opposite, reverse, or inverse characteristics of something else” (such as anticyclone, a storm that circulates in the opposite direction from a cyclone). Before a vowel it becomes ant–, as in antacid.

Sensitive Note

See homophobia.

Word History and Origins

Origin of anti¹

First recorded in 1780–90; by shortening of words prefixed with anti-

Origin of anti²

From Middle English, from Latin, from Greek, prefixal use of antí; akin to Sanskrit ánti “opposite,” Latin ante, Middle Dutch ende (giving rise to Dutch en “and”), English an- in answer. See ante-, and

Word History and Origins

Origin of anti¹

from Greek anti

Example Sentences

"There was a lot of anti German feeling in Newport. They asked Mabel whether she would divorce Max because he was a German - she refused to do that."

From BBC

Bartlett, a retired teacher, served as executive director of the Okefenokee chapter of Citizens Defending Freedom, a Christian nationalist group the Southern Poverty Law Center calls “anti government” and “part of the antidemocratic hard-right movement.”

From Salon

And even my dialect coach was really anti- the idea for a while because it was creating lisps in my mouth, which wasn’t right.

From Los Angeles Times

"It's anti democratic, and broadcasters need to reflect on it."

From BBC

Individuals who are anti-establishment — anti the two-party system — can upset the party institutions with the right kind of backing and ingenuity.

From Seattle Times

Related Words

• adverse
• belligerent
• bitter
• contentious
• contrary
• hateful
• inhospitable
• inimical
• nasty
• opposed
• unfavorable
• unfriendly
• unsympathetic