antiphase
|an-ti-phase|
/ˈæn.tɪ.feɪz/
opposite phase (180° out of phase)
Etymology
'antiphase' originates from Greek-derived elements: the prefix 'anti-' (from Greek 'anti', meaning 'against' or 'opposite') combined with 'phase' (from Greek 'phasis' via French/Latin 'phase').
'phase' comes from Greek 'phasis' ('appearance') which passed into scientific Latin/French as 'phase'; the compound 'antiphase' was formed in modern English by combining 'anti-' + 'phase' to denote 'opposite phase' in physics and engineering contexts.
Initially the parts meant 'against/ opposite' and 'appearance/phase'; over time the compound came to have the specialized technical meaning 'in opposite phase (180° out of phase)' used in physics and signal theory.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a condition in which two waves, oscillations, or periodic signals are exactly 180° out of phase, so that their effects cancel each other.
The two speakers were in antiphase, causing the sound to cancel at certain positions.
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Adjective 1
describing signals, waves, or oscillations that have a phase difference of 180° (i.e., opposite in phase).
When the lights are antiphase, their intensities reduce each other at overlap.
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Last updated: 2025/09/06 17:42