antonymy (n.)

A term used in SEMANTICS as part of the study of oppositeness of MEANING. Antonymy is one of a set of SENSE relations recognized in some analyses of meaning, along with SYNONYMY, HYPONYMY, INCOMPATIBILITY and others. In its most general sense, it refers collectively to all types of semantic oppositeness (antonyms), with various subdivisions then being made (e.g. between graded antonyms, such as big ~ small, where there are degrees of difference, and ungraded antonyms, such as single ~ married, where there is an either/or contrast). Some linguists (e.g. the British linguist John Lyons (b. 1932)) have reserved the term for a particular type of oppositeness: graded antonyms are referred to as ‘antonyms’, the other type just illustrated being referred to as COMPLEMENTARIES. It is a matter of controversy how many types of opposites one should usefully recognize in semantic analysis, and the use of the term ‘antonym’ must always be viewed with caution.