Definition

A statement that is formed by reversing and negating the terms of another statement, often used in logic to show that two statements are equivalent.

Example

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

Conversation

Hey, do you remember learning about the contrapositive in math class?

Yeah, it was a bit confusing at first, but I get it now.

Right? It’s interesting how it flips the statement around.

Exactly! Once I understood that, it made the whole concept clearer.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Contrapositive → It is formed from "contra-" (meaning against) and "positus" (meaning placed or positioned). The word refers to a statement that is formed by negating and reversing the terms of a given conditional statement, thus placing them against their original positions.

Memory Tip

Think of 'against' ('contra-') and 'placed' ('positus') to remember that a contrapositive is a statement that places the terms in opposition to their original form.

Visually Confused Words