Converse (semantics)

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Pairs of words that refer to a relationship from opposite points of view

title: "Converse (semantics)" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["semantics", "dichotomies"] description: "Pairs of words that refer to a relationship from opposite points of view" topic_path: "linguistics" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Converse_(semantics)" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Pairs of words that refer to a relationship from opposite points of view ::

In linguistics, converses or relational antonyms are pairs of words that refer to a relationship from opposite points of view, such as parent/child or borrow/lend. The relationship between such words is called a converse relation. Converses can be understood as a pair of words where one word implies a relationship between two objects, while the other implies the existence of the same relationship when the objects are reversed. Converses are sometimes referred to as complementary antonyms because an "either/or" relationship is present between them. One exists only because the other exists.

List of converse words

  • Own and belong are relational opposites i.e. "A owns B" is the same as "B belongs to A."
  • Win and lose i.e. if someone wins, someone must lose.
  • Fraction and whole i.e. if there is a fraction, there must be a whole.
  • Above and below
  • Employer and employee
  • Parent and child
  • Teacher and student
  • Buy and sell
  • East and west
  • Predator and prey
  • Lend and borrow
  • Offense and defense
  • Slave and master

References

References

  1. "converse". The SIL French/English Glossary of Linguistic Terms.
  2. (2009). "Introduction to English Linguistics". Walter de Gruyter.
  3. "Synonyms, Antonyms, and Homonyms".
  4. "Antonyms". Annies-annex.com.

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semanticsdichotomies