inverse

[ adjective, noun in-vurs, in-vurs; verb in-vurs ]

/ adjective, noun ɪnˈvɜrs, ˈɪn vɜrs; verb ɪnˈvɜrs /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR inverse ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

reversed in position, order, direction, or tendency.

Mathematics.

(of a proportion) containing terms of which an increase in one results in a decrease in another. A term is said to be in inverse proportion to another term if it increases (or decreases) as the other decreases (or increases).
of or relating to an inverse function.Compare direct(def 16).

inverted; turned upside down.

noun

an inverted state or condition.

something that is inverse; the direct opposite.

Mathematics.

an element of an algebraic system, as a group, corresponding to a given element such that its product or sum with the given element is the identity element.
inverse function.
a point related to a given point so that it is situated on the same radius, extended if necessary, of a given circle or sphere and so that the product of the distances of the two points from the center equals the square of the radius of the circle or sphere.
the set of such inverses of the points of a given set, as the points on a curve.

verb (used with object), in·versed, in·vers·ing.

to invert.

Origin of inverse

1605–15; < Latin inversus, past participle of invertere to turn upside down or inside out, reverse. See in-², verse

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH inverse

converse inverse obverse reverse

Words nearby inverse

inveraray, invercargill, inverclyde, inverness, inverness-shire, inverse, inverse cosecant, inverse cosine, inverse cotangent, inverse function, inverse image

Example sentences from the Web for inverse

Somehow, the brevity of the message creates an inverse potential for misunderstanding.

What Would Jane Eyre Sext? |Jennie Yabroff |December 23, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
This is an inverse Pietà, and something of a sexual anarchist; she ardently refuses to be oriented in an orientation.

Is Bigger Better for St. Vincent? |David Yaffe |December 4, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
The meme is the inverse of Harvey Milk: you gotta take away all their hope.

D.C. Needs a Grassroots Fix That Will Come When Left and Right Find Common Ground |Lawrence Lessig |February 9, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
There is an inverse correlation at play: the nicer a man appears, the greater his cruelty behind closed doors.

American Dreams, 1963: ‘The Group’ by Mary McCarthy |Nathaniel Rich |July 25, 2013 |DAILY BEAST

Whatever the answer, the inverse desire for unlikable characters—truly despicable ones—is interesting.

This Week’s Hot Reads: May 28, 2013 |Jen Vafidis |May 28, 2013 |DAILY BEAST
It is obviously wrong to say that they vary in inverse proportion.

Logic, Inductive and Deductive |William Minto
The attraction of love, I find, is in an inverse proportion to the attraction of the Newtonian philosophy.

The Letters of Robert Burns |Robert Burns
At these times the Callisto recoiled slightly also, the resulting motion in either being in inverse ratio to its weight.

A Journey in Other Worlds |John Jacob Astor
Needed most in the poorest home, the help of the grandmother is often appreciated in inverse ratio to the income.

The Family and it's Members |Anna Garlin Spencer
All, then, that we could say would be, that the Inverse Probability was somewhat against him.

The Color Line |William Benjamin Smith

British Dictionary definitions for inverse

inverse

/ (ɪnˈvɜːs, ˈɪnvɜːs) /

adjective

opposite or contrary in effect, sequence, direction, etc

maths

(of a relationship) containing two variables such that an increase in one results in a decrease in the otherthe volume of a gas is in inverse ratio to its pressure
(of an element) operating on a specified member of a set to produce the identity of the set: the additive inverse element of x is –x, the multiplicative inverse element of x is 1/x

(usually prenominal) upside-down; inverted in an inverse position

noun

maths

another name for reciprocal (def. 7)
an inverse element

logic a categorial proposition derived from another by changing both the proposition and its subject from affirmative to negative, or vice versa, as all immortals are angels from no mortals are angels

Derived forms of inverse

inversely, adverb

Word Origin for inverse

C17: from Latin inversus, from invertere to invert

Scientific definitions for inverse

inverse

Adjective

Relating to a mathematical operation whose nature or effect is the opposite of another operation. For example, addition and subtraction are inverse operations, as are multiplication and division.

Noun

An inverse operation. Subtraction is the inverse of addition.

Either of a pair of elements in a set whose result under the mathematical operation of the set is the identity element. For example, the inverse of 5 under multiplication is 15, since 5 X 15 = 1, the identity element under multiplication. The inverse of 5 under addition is -5, since 5 + -5 = 0.

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

inverse

adjective

noun

verb (used with object), in·versed, in·vers·ing.

Origin of inverse

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH inverse

Words nearby inverse

Example sentences from the Web for inverse

British Dictionary definitions for inverse

adjective

noun

Derived forms of inverse

Word Origin for inverse

Scientific definitions for inverse

Adjective

Noun

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

inverse

adjective

noun

verb (used with object), in·versed, in·vers·ing.

Origin of inverse

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH inverse

Words nearby inverse

Words related to inverse

Example sentences from the Web for inverse

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []) .push({}); British Dictionary definitions for inverse

adjective

noun

Derived forms of inverse

Word Origin for inverse

Scientific definitions for inverse

Adjective

Noun

British Dictionary definitions for inverse