polar opposition
- noun
- /ˈpoʊlər ˌɑːpəˈzɪʃən/
:
oposición polar
- People of different political viewpoints may legitimately respond to this presentation with policy prescriptions that are in polar opposition.
Examples
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From the ancient Greeks came the polar opposition of civilization and barbarism or savagery. (n14)
Academic text (2003) -
Charisms contribute to the very constitution of the Church, and consequently they do not, as is often presumed, stand in polar opposition to the ecclesial institution.
Academic text (2001) -
In light of the apparently polar opposition, the similarities between Strauss and Derrida are, therefore, both surprising and striking.
Academic text (1995) -
Key to this work was Weber's observation that the near-polar opposition of the human to the natural, as understood by Dilthey, was overdrawn.
Academic text (2016) -
Notwithstanding, the scheme of polar opposition between what is and what is not popular continues to frame a great deal of political and scientific thought, not only in the fundamentalist views of the right but also in those of the left, in folklore studies as well as sociological research dedicated to modern processes.
Academic text (1996) -
In politics, the polar opposition between conservatives and liberals often leads to heated debates.
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The polar opposition of light and darkness symbolizes the struggle between good and evil in literature.
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In climate discussions, there is a polar opposition between advocates for immediate action and those who believe change should happen gradually.
Synonyms
25
7.2
People or groups split into two opposing sides and cannot agree
5
7.0
Two opposite ideas or feelings, for example hope and despair
1
7.8
A way of putting two opposite ideas together to show contrast
Words like hot and cold that show opposite ends of a scale
A situation that shows two opposite qualities
A state where two things are completely different, like day and night
A situation where two ideas, groups, or feelings are against each other
Complete disagreement between two things that are exact opposites
A habit of often disagreeing and refusing to do what others ask
Antonyms
How Opposed
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'a contrast between two extremes' is directly and compositionally derived from 'polar' (markedly opposite) combined with 'opposition' (contrast/resistance). This adjective + noun combination follows normal English composition and similar patterns in other languages, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents should be able to infer the MWE meaning.
Etymology
The term polar opposition uses the image of polar ends, like the North and South poles, two points far apart. That picture of two opposite ends is why it means a strong 'contrast' between two 'extremes'.