- Definition : Pairs of "opposites" in which one term implies the other.
- Examples :
parent -child : if I am your parent, then you are my child.
above - below : if X is above Y then Y is below X.
- Can cause problems for students if their own language does not have the distinction. Eg Italian prestare = both lend and borrow
- Adjectives like fast and slow are gradable rather than converse, so not fast does not necessarily mean slow. However, their comparative forms are converse - if you are faster than me, then I am slower than you.
Related Reading
McCarthy, M. 1990, Vocabulary, OUP
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