Meaning & use
inverse
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Meanings
adjectivebefore a noun
Opposite in direction, order or effect, so that one thing rises as another falls.
Grammar: Usually before a noun: an inverse relationship.
Patterns
- in inverse proportion to something
- inverse relationship between X and Y
There is an inverse relationship between price and demand.
Speed and travel time are in inverse proportion on a fixed route.
The inverse order of the list puts the newest item first.
nounsingular
Something that is exactly the opposite of another thing.
Grammar: Usually used with the: the inverse of the statement.
Patterns
- the inverse of something
Subtraction is the inverse of addition.
Her mood was the inverse of his: she was calm while he panicked.
The result was the inverse of what we expected.
nouncountablemathematics
In mathematics, a number or function that cancels another when the two are combined.
Grammar: Takes of: the inverse of a matrix; usually countable in math.
Patterns
- the inverse of a function
The additive inverse of 5 is negative 5.
Square roots are found with the inverse of squaring.
A matrix multiplied by its inverse gives the identity matrix.
Word forms
| plural | inverses |
|---|
Common combinations
- inverse relationship
- Study shows an inverse relationship between sleep and stress.
- inverse proportion
- Pressure and volume change in inverse proportion.
- inverse function
- The square root is the inverse function of squaring.
- the inverse is true
- If it is true for one case, the inverse is also true here.
- inverse correlation
- The data show an inverse correlation between age and speed.
Synonyms and how they differ
- opposite
- Opposite is the everyday word, while inverse is more precise and often suggests a reversal in a mathematical or logical pattern.
- reverse
- Reverse means turned around or backward, whereas inverse stresses a matching opposing relationship.
- converse
- Converse is used in logic for a swapped statement, which is different from the full opposite that inverse means.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: inverse or reverse?
inverse vs reverse
Reverse is the general word for backward or opposite movement. Inverse is used when two things are linked as opposites, such as in math or logic.
Practice
As the number of workers on a job rises, the time to finish falls. This is an ___ relationship.
Choose one answer.
When one quantity goes up as the other goes down, the relationship is inverse. A direct relationship would have both rising together.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “inverse”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.