Etymologically
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anti

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 15 October 2026 at 15:37. This address is a permanent link to this version.
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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ˈæn.ti/[1]

Etymology

It is the prefix anti- used as a word on its own,[2][3][4] short for various nouns beginning with anti-.[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

As a noun, “a person who is against something”: 1788, first of the anti-federalists in United States politics.[2][5]

Semantic evolution

In the 1830s anti was used especially of the American Anti-Masonic Party.[2] The adjective, “opposed”, is from 1857,[2][5][6] and the preposition, “against”, from 1953.[6]

Timeline

  • 1788 – noun, an anti-federalist; an opponent.[2][5]
  • 1830s – an Anti-Mason.[2]
  • 1857 – adjective, opposed.[2][5]
  • 1953 – preposition, against.[6]

Modern meaning

Noun

  1. A person who is opposed to a group, policy or practice.

Adjective

  1. Opposed: the anti vote.

Preposition

  1. Opposed to; against.

Usage notes

In British pronunciation the final vowel is /i/; in American English /ˈæn.taɪ/ is also heard.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b Jones, Daniel (2011), Cambridge English Pronouncing Dictionary, 18th ed., ed. Peter Roach, Jane Setter and John Esling, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  3. ^ The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (2000), 4th ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin
  4. ^ Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles (2002), 5th ed., ed. William R. Trumble and Angus Stevenson, Oxford: Oxford University Press
  5. ^ a b c d Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
  6. ^ a b c Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster