You searched for:
“contronyms”
1. Any word which can be its own counter application.
2. A word that generates two opposite meanings.
2. A word that generates two opposite meanings.
More popularly, they are known as Janus-faced words because the Greek god Janus had two faces which looked in opposite directions.
"The moon is visible tonight."
"The lights in the old house are always invisible."
"The lights in the old house are always invisible."
Although the two italicized words are opposite in meaning, both can be replaced by the same word out. When the moon or sun or stars are out, they are visible; and when the lights are out, they are invisible; therefore, out is considered a contronym.
An additional example includes: "cleave", meaning "adhere" and "separate".
This entry is located in the following units:
contra-, contro-, counter, contre-
(page 2)
-onym, -onymy, -onymic, -onymically, -onymous, -onymously, -nym
(page 4)
(contronyms or words which have definitions that are self-antonyms; that is, which have two meanings that are the opposites of each other)