an|ti

an|ti «AN ty, -tee», noun, plural -tis, adjective, preposition. Informal.

–n.

a person opposed to something, such as a plan, idea, or political party.

–adj.

of or belonging to the opposition; opposed; against: »

He is inclined to be anti by profession—anti the new (Manchester Guardian).

–prep.

opposed to; against: »

anti everything new.

╂[< anti-]

anti-,

prefix.

1. against; opposed to _____: »

Antiaircraft = against aircraft. Antislavery = opposed to slavery.

2. not; the opposite of _____: »

Antisocial = the opposite of social. Antiwarlike = not warlike.

3. rival _____: »

Antipope = rival pope.

4. preventing or counteracting _____: »

Antirust = preventing or counteracting rust. Antiseptic = preventing or counteracting infection.

5. preventing, curing, or alleviating _____: »

Antiscorbutic = preventing, curing, or alleviating scurvy.

6. (thing) placed opposite _____; (thing) moving or acting in opposition to _____: »

Anticathode = the plate opposite the cathode. Antimonsoon = air current moving in the opposite direction from that of a monsoon.

7. analogue; counterpart: »

Antineutron = analogue of a neutron. Anticodon = counterpart of a codon.

Also, ant- before vowels and h.

╂[< Greek anti- opposite < antí]

Usage Anti- is usually hyphened before root words beginning with a vowel and before proper nouns and adjectives: »

anti-imperialistic, anti-intellectual, anti-British, anti-Semitic.

Anti- is pronounced AN tee, or often, more emphatically, AN ty.