Opposite vs. Reciprocal

Located directly across from something else, or from each other.

Example: ‘She saw him walking on the opposite side of the road.’;

(botany) Of leaves and flowers, positioned directly across from each other on a stem.

Facing in the other direction.

Example: ‘They were moving in opposite directions.’;

Of either of two complementary or mutually exclusive things.

Example: ‘He has a lot of success with the opposite sex.’;

Extremely different; inconsistent; contrary; repugnant; antagonistic.

Something opposite or contrary to something else.

An opponent.

An antonym.

Example: ‘"Up" is the opposite of "down".’;

(mathematics) An additive inverse.

In an opposite position.

Example: ‘I was on my seat and she stood opposite.’;

Facing, or across from.

Example: ‘He lives opposite the pub.’;

In a complementary role to.

Example: ‘He played opposite Marilyn Monroe.’;

(television) On another channel at the same time.

Example: ‘The game show Just Men! aired opposite The Young and the Restless on CBS.’;

Placed over against; standing or situated over against or in front; facing; - often with to; as, a house opposite to the Exchange; the concert hall and the state theater stood opposite each other on the plaza.

Situated on the other end of an imaginary line passing through or near the middle of an intervening space or object; - of one object with respect to another; as, the office is on the opposite side of town; - also used both to describe two objects with respect to each other; as, the stores were on opposite ends of the mall.

Applied to the other of two things which are entirely different; other; as, the opposite sex; the opposite extreme; antonyms have opposite meanings.

Extremely different; inconsistent; contrary; repugnant; antagonistic.

Example: ‘Novels, by which the reader is misled into another sort of pleasure opposite to that which is designed in an epic poem.’; ‘Particles of speech have divers, and sometimes almost opposite, significations.’;

Set over against each other, but separated by the whole diameter of the stem, as two leaves at the same node.

One who opposes; an opponent; an antagonist.

Example: ‘The opposites of this day's strife.’;

That which is opposed or contrary in character or meaning; as, sweetness and its opposite; up is the opposite of down.

Example: ‘The virtuous man meets with more opposites and opponents than any other.’;

two words that express opposing concepts;

Example: ‘to him the opposite of gay was depressed’;

a relation of direct opposition;

Example: ‘we thought Sue was older than Bill but just the reverse was true’;

a contestant that you are matched against

something inverted in sequence or character or effect;

Example: ‘when the direct approach failed he tried the inverse’;

being directly across from each other; facing;

Example: ‘And I on the opposite shore will be, ready to ride and spread the alarm’; ‘we lived on opposite sides of the street’; ‘at opposite poles’;

of leaves etc; growing in pairs on either side of a stem;

Example: ‘opposite leaves’;

moving or facing away from each other;

Example: ‘looking in opposite directions’; ‘they went in opposite directions’;

the other one of a complementary pair;

Example: ‘the opposite sex’; ‘the two chess kings are set up on squares of opposite colors’;

altogether different in nature or quality or significance;

Example: ‘the medicine's effect was opposite to that intended’; ‘it is said that opposite characters make a union happiest’;

characterized by opposite extremes; completely opposed;

Example: ‘in diametric contradiction to his claims’; ‘diametrical (or opposite) points of view’; ‘opposite meanings’; ‘extreme and indefensible polar positions’;

directly facing each other;

Example: ‘the two photographs lay face-to-face on the table’; ‘lived all their lives in houses face-to-face across the street’; ‘they sat opposite at the table’;

Of a feeling, action or such: mutual, uniformly felt or done by each party towards the other or others; two-way.

Example: ‘reciprocal love; reciprocal duties’;

Mutually interchangeable.

(grammar) expressing mutual action, applied to pronouns and verbs; also in a broad sense: reflexive

(math) Used to denote different kinds of mutual relation; often with reference to the substitution of reciprocals for given quantities.

Done, given, felt, or owed in return

Example: ‘a reciprocal invitation to lunch’;

(arithmetic) The number obtained by dividing 1 by another given number; the result of exchanging the numerator and the denominator of a fraction.

Example: ‘0.5 is the reciprocal of 2.’;

(grammar) A construction expressing mutual action.

Recurring in vicissitude; alternate.

Done by each to the other; interchanging or interchanged; given and received; due from each to each; mutual; as, reciprocal love; reciprocal duties.

Example: ‘Let our reciprocal vows be remembered.’;

Mutually interchangeable.

Example: ‘These two rules will render a definition reciprocal with the thing defined.’;

Reflexive; - applied to pronouns and verbs, but sometimes limited to such pronouns as express mutual action.

Used to denote different kinds of mutual relation; often with reference to the substitution of reciprocals for given quantities. See the Phrases below.

That which is reciprocal to another thing.

Example: ‘Corruption is a reciprocal to generation.’;

The quotient arising from dividing unity by any quantity; thus ¼ is the reciprocal of 4; 1/(a + b) is the reciprocal of a + b. The reciprocal of a fraction is the fraction inverted, or the denominator divided by the numerator.

something (a term or expression or concept) that has a reciprocal relation to something else;

Example: ‘risk is the reciprocal of safety’;

(mathematics) one of a pair of numbers whose product is 1: the reciprocal of 2/3 is 3/2; the multiplicative inverse of 7 is 1/7

hybridization involving a pair of crosses that reverse the sexes associated with each genotype

concerning each of two or more persons or things; especially given or done in return;

Example: ‘reciprocal aid’; ‘reciprocal trade’; ‘mutual respect’; ‘reciprocal privileges at other clubs’;

of or relating to or suggestive of complementation;

Example: ‘interchangeable electric outlets’;

of or relating to the multiplicative inverse of a quantity or function;

Example: ‘the reciprocal ratio of a:b is b:a’;