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contrapositive

contrapositive

9.5
A statement made by swapping the if and then parts and making them the opposite in a conditional
  • noun
  • /ˌkɒntrəˈpɒzɪtɪv/
  • Specialized
translation icon : contrapositivo
  • When analyzing logical arguments, it is essential to remember that the contrapositive of a true statement is always true.

Examples

  • The professor explained that the contrapositive serves as an important tool in proofs, as it can help establish the validity of a claim.

  • Then the last one is going to be the contrapositive, which is going to be the if, if inverse or if not Q then not P.

  • In mathematics, the contrapositive of the statement 'If it rains, then the ground is wet' is 'If the ground is not wet, then it does not rain.'

Synonyms

contraposition
vscontrapositive
  • Specialized
8.8

To form a new if-then statement by switching the two parts and saying each is not true

is the statement you get after reversing and negating hypothesis and conclusion

Surface Forms

Etymology

A contrapositive comes from contra- 'against' and positive 'affirming', so the name suggests an 'against the affirmative' statement. A contrapositive is the statement you get when you swap the 'if' and 'then' parts and make them negative, and this explains why we use that word for this logical form.