ENGLISH
REFERENCE

inverse

n. countable
C1 Advanced US //ˌɪnˈvɝs// in·verse

n. the exact opposite of something in position, order, or effect. If one thing goes up while another goes down, you are looking at an inverse relationship.

n. something that is the direct opposite or reverse of another thing. In mathematics and logic, it refers to a value or proposition that results from a specific reversal of another.


SIMPLE

The results were the exact inverse of what we expected.

CONTEXTUAL

In many economic models, the price of a luxury good is the inverse of its demand among budget-conscious shoppers.

COMPLEX

The philosopher argued that the public's perception of safety was often the inverse of the actual crime statistics reported by the local police department.

Synonyms
Antonyms
Origin

Recorded since 1440, from Latin inversus, the past participle of invertere (“to invert”), itself from in- (“reverse, reciprocal”) + vertere (“to turn”).

Usage

Often used with the definite article 'the' and followed by the preposition 'of'.

Pitfall

the inverse to the problemthe inverse of the problemThe noun inverse typically takes the preposition 'of' to show the relationship between the two opposites.

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