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Definitions from WordNet

Definitions from the Web

Orthogonal Opposition

Description:

Orthogonal opposition refers to a linguistic concept where two words or phrases have opposite meanings that are unrelated or independent of one another. In this context, the terms are considered to be orthogonal, meaning they do not overlap or share any common attributes in their opposition.

Examples:

Noun:

• One example of orthogonal opposition is the pair of words "hot" and "cold," where the meanings are opposite but have no shared characteristics that define their opposition.
• In this linguistic framework, "black" and "white" are often considered as an orthogonal opposition since they are antonyms without any conceptual or relational overlap.

Adjective:

• Two objects with orthogonal color schemes, like red and blue, can create a visually contrasting display.
• The author skillfully employed orthogonal opposition to depict the characters' diverging personalities in the novel.

Related Products:

• Books on Opposition in Language
• Books on Lexical Semantics