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Definition of inverse adjective from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

inverse

adjective
 
/ˌɪnˈvɜːs/
 
/ˌɪnˈvɜːrs/
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  1. [only before noun] opposite in amount or position to something else
    • A person's wealth is often in inverse proportion to their happiness (= the more money they have, the less happy they are).
    • There is often an inverse relationship between the power of the tool and how easy it is to use.
    Oxford Collocations DictionaryInverse is used with these nouns:
    • correlation
    • proportion
    • relationship
    • …
    See full entry
  2. the inverse
     noun [singular] (specialist) the exact opposite of something
    3. Word Originlate Middle English: from Latin inversus, past participle of invertere literally ‘turn inside out’, from in- ‘into’ + vertere ‘to turn’.
See inverse in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee inverse in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic English
Check pronunciation: inverse

Nearby words

halfway
adverb
 
 
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