antilevelling
|an-ti-lev-ell-ing|
🇺🇸
/ˌæn.tiˈlɛvəlɪŋ/
🇬🇧
/ˌæn.tiˈlɛv.əl.ɪŋ/
against making things equal
Etymology
'antilevelling' originates from English combining the prefix 'anti-' (from Greek 'anti-' meaning 'against') and 'levelling' (from 'level').
'level' entered English from Old French 'level', ultimately from Late Latin/Vulgar Latin related to 'libella' (a small balance), and 'anti-' comes via Latin/Greek; the compound 'anti-levelling' formed in modern English to express opposition to levelling measures.
Initially components meant 'against' and 'balance/level' respectively; over time the compound came to mean specifically 'opposition to making things equal' in social or policy contexts.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
opposition to policies or actions intended to make differences (social, economic, or performance-related) more equal; stance against levelling measures.
The committee's antilevelling reflected a belief that merit-based rewards should remain distinct.
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Adjective 1
describing a policy, action, or tendency that resists making outcomes or conditions more equal.
They proposed an antilevelling approach to funding that favored established institutions.
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Last updated: 2025/09/02 18:02