How Do You Spell SUBCONTRARY?

Pronunciation: [sˈʌbkəntɹˌe͡əɹi] (IPA)

The word "Subcontrary" is spelled with a prefix "sub-" meaning "under" or "less than." The second part of the word, "contrary," means "opposite" or "antithetical." The pronunciation of "subcontrary" is /ˌsʌbˈkɒntrəri/, with the stress on the second syllable. The first syllable, "sub-", is pronounced with a short u sound, while the second and third syllables, "-con-" and "-tra-", are pronounced with a schwa sound. The final syllable, "-ry," is pronounced with a short i sound.

SUBCONTRARY Meaning and Definition

1. The term "subcontrary" is primarily used within logic and philosophy to describe a specific relationship between two statements or propositions. In logic, a subcontrary relationship exists between two statements when both statements cannot be true at the same time, but they can both be false simultaneously.

   To provide a comprehensive definition, a subcontrary proposition is a pair of statements where the truth of one proposition does not imply the truth of the other, yet they are incompatible in that they cannot both be true together. In other words, if one proposition is true, then the other proposition must be false, but if one proposition is false, it does not guarantee the truth of the other.

   For instance, consider the two statements: "Some birds can fly" and "No birds can fly." These statements are subcontrary because they cannot both be true simultaneously. If some birds are capable of flying, then the second statement is false; conversely, if no birds can fly, the first statement is false. Nonetheless, in some scenarios, both statements can be false, such as when only a few birds possess the ability to fly.

   The subcontrary relationship provides a valuable logical distinction, enabling the understanding of statements that cannot be true together yet may both be false. By recognizing this relationship, philosophers and logicians can assess the various possibilities and implications in arguments and analyses.

2. Contrary in an inferior degree; in geom., applied to similar triangles having a common angle at the vertex while the bases do not coincide; in logic, applied to propositions which agree in quantity but differ in quality.

   Etymological and pronouncing dictionary of the English language. By Stormonth, James, Phelp, P. H. Published 1874.

Common Misspellings for SUBCONTRARY

• aubcontrary
• zubcontrary
• xubcontrary
• dubcontrary
• eubcontrary
• wubcontrary
• sybcontrary
• shbcontrary
• sjbcontrary
• sibcontrary
• s8bcontrary
• s7bcontrary
• suvcontrary
• suncontrary
• suhcontrary
• sugcontrary
• subxontrary
• subvontrary
• subfontrary
• subdontrary

Etymology of SUBCONTRARY

The word "subcontrary" is derived from the Latin word "subcontrarius". In Latin, "sub" means "under" or "below", and "contrarius" means "opposite" or "contrary". Thus, "subcontrarius" can be translated as "somewhat contrary" or "opposite in a lesser degree". Over time, the word was adapted into English as "subcontrary" with a similar meaning.