Contronym

A contronym, also called an auto-antonym, is a word with two meanings that are opposites of each other, such as cleave, which can mean to split apart or to stick together.

"The two sides of the family are cleaving." Are they splitting or sticking together? The sentence could mean either. "Cleave" is a contronym, a word that means its own opposite.

Common contronyms

• Sanction. To approve, or to penalise.
• Dust. To remove dust from furniture, or to add it to a cake.
• Bolt. To fasten a door, or to run away.
• Left. Gone, or still remaining ("Who's left?").
• Fast. Moving quickly, or fixed in place.
• Screen. To show a film, or to hide something.
• Oversight. Careful supervision, or a lapse.

Why they exist

Some come from two unrelated words that happen to share a spelling. "Cleave" is actually two old verbs that fell together. Others drifted: a word for "to remove" grew a sense of "to supply", or the reverse.

Why it matters to a writer or editor

A contronym is a trap for clarity. A sentence such as "The committee will table the motion" means opposite things to a British and an American reader: to bring it up for discussion, or to put it off. Context usually settles it, but when it does not, rewrite. Replace the ambiguous word with a clearer one. Contronyms also make good puzzle material and are a fun source of puns. They are not the same as the oxymoron, which holds two opposites in a phrase, or the paradox.

Frequently asked questions

What are some common contronyms?

Cleave (split or cling), sanction (approve or penalise), dust (add fine powder or remove it), bolt (fasten or flee), oversight (careful watching or a failure to watch) and left (departed or remaining).

Why do contronyms exist?

Usually because two different words from different roots ended up with the same spelling, or because one word's meaning drifted in two directions over time.

Is a contronym the same as an oxymoron?

No. An oxymoron joins two opposed words in a phrase, such as 'deafening silence'. A contronym is a single word that holds both opposites.