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inversion

inversion

1 7.0
Putting words in an unusual order to add emphasis
  • noun
  • /ɪnˈvɜrʒən/
  • Literature
translation icon : inversión
  • "Like Carnival, the cataclysm of marriage occasions a temporary inversion of values; the private is publicized, the unspoken spoken, the degraded is raised up.
  • inversion of word order
  • systematic inversion
  • contain inversions

Examples

  • So it's kind of an inversion of classic socialist theory.

  • And it is a strange inversion of reasoning.

  • In many ways, this second awakening is an inversion of the book's opening scene.

    Academic text (1999)
  • Quite simply, what passes for free market economics is a complete inversion of classical economics.

    Blog text (14)
  • Orgosolo's bars could be seen as the symbolic inversion of its chapels.

    Academic text (1999)
  • Terms such as hyperbaton, anastrophe, and inversion are defined, explained, and illustrated solely on the basis of word order, not word proximity.

    Academic text (2005)
  • Both Gilio and Aretino noted a constant transgressive logic of inversion, a descent from high to low, operating in the work.

    Academic text (2002)
  • The poet used an inversion of common phrases to create unexpected meanings in his work.

  • In her speech, she made an inversion of the usual arguments to highlight the flaws in the opposition's strategy.

  • The author's clever inversion of the traditional storyline surprised the readers.

Synonyms

reversal
vsinversion
25 4.2

A change to the opposite direction or position, for example when wind turns

is specifically about changing word order for emphasis rather than general opposites
anastrophe
vsinversion
  • Literature
9.9

A change of the usual word order to make a word or phrase stand out

is the general placing of words in unusual order beyond poetic use
antimetathesis
vsinversion
  • Literature
9.9

To reverse the order of matching words in two parts of a sentence to show contrast

is broader, covering any unusual word order not only swapped pairs

Compounds

matrix inversion
  • Specialized
8.6

To find a matrix that, when multiplied by the original, makes the identity matrix

9.9

An old word for someone who behaves in ways usually seen in the other sex

Surface Forms

inversion singular
inversions plural

Morphology

inversion = invert (semi-transparent) = in + vert + ion

For this sense, 'inversion' is a regular noun formed from the verb 'invert' and means the act or result of inverting.

Etymology

Inversion comes from the Latin invertere, where in- means 'in' and vertere means 'to turn'. In language, an inversion is when the normal word order is 'turned around' to add emphasis or fit a rhythm.