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ezkcdude
Veteran Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
 
2011-04-14, 16:02

Quote:
Originally Posted by addabox View Post
cleave: to adhere closely; stick; cling

and

cleave: to cut off; sever

As best I know the only word in English that is its own antonym.
When I read your post, I remembered that just the other day I heard a word that was it's own opposite, but couldn't remember it.

Apparently there is a word for that entire class of words: contronym

http://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contronym

And "sanction" (which is on the list) was the word that I couldn't remember. I think they were discussing it on NPR during the Libya thing.

(How was that for a meta-post?)
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