noun
Meaning 1
The action of inverting.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Standard Lemma guide
inversion
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
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General-American: /ɪnˈvɚ.ʒən/
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Received-Pronunciation: /ɪnˈvɜː.ʃən/
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Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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rhymes with -ɜː(ɹ)ʃən
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CMU ARPABET: IH2 N V ER1 ZH AH0 N Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
noun
Meaning 2
The act of being in an inverted state; being upside down, inside out, or in a reverse sequence.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 3
The reversal of an interval; the move of one pitch in an interval up or down an octave.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Topics: entertainment, lifestyle, music
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 4
The position of a chord which has a note other than the root as its bass note.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Topics: entertainment, lifestyle, music
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 5
The flipping of a melody or contrapuntal line so that high notes become low and vice versa; the reversal of a pitch contour.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Topics: entertainment, lifestyle, music
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 6
A segment of DNA in the context of a chromosome that is reversed in orientation relative to a reference karyotype or genome.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Topics: biology, genetics, medicine, natural-sciences, sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 7
A situation where air temperature increases with altitude (the ground being colder than the surrounding air).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Topics: climatology, meteorology, natural-sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: temperature inversion
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 8
A section of a roller coaster where passengers are temporarily turned upside down.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 9
Deviation from standard word order, as for example by putting the predicate before the subject. It takes place in questions with auxiliary verbs; in normal, affirmative clauses beginning with a negative particle, for the purpose of emphasis; and in other rhetorical devices or unusual situations.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Topics: grammar, human-sciences, linguistics, sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: anastrophe, hyperbaton
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 10
An operation on a group, analogous to negation.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Topics: algebra, mathematics, sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 11
Homosexuality, particularly in early psychoanalysis.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, obsolete, uncountable
Topics: human-sciences, psychology, sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 12
The catalytic action of invertase.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Topics: biochemistry, biology, chemistry, microbiology, natural-sciences, physical-sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 13
the act of turning inside out
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: eversion, everting
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: motion, movement, move, motility
noun
Meaning 14
turning upside down; setting on end
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: upending
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: motion, movement, move, motility
Narrower terms: upset, overturn, turnover
noun
Meaning 15
a term formerly used to mean taking on the gender role of the opposite sex
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: sexual inversion
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: homosexuality, homosexualism, homoeroticism, queerness, gayness
noun
Meaning 16
(counterpoint) a variation of a melody or part in which ascending intervals are replaced by descending intervals and vice versa
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: variation
noun
Meaning 17
the reversal of the normal order of words
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: anastrophe
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: rhetorical device
noun
Meaning 18
(genetics) a kind of mutation in which the order of the genes in a section of a chromosome is reversed
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: mutation, genetic mutation, chromosomal mutation
noun
Meaning 19
the layer of air near the earth is cooler than an overlying layer
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: atmospheric phenomenon
noun
Meaning 20
a chemical process in which the direction of optical rotation of a substance is reversed from dextrorotatory to levorotary or vice versa
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: chemical process, chemical change, chemical action
noun
Meaning 21
abnormal condition in which an organ is turned inward or inside out (as when the upper part of the uterus is pulled into the cervical canal after childbirth)
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: abnormality, abnormalcy
History
Etymology
From Latin inversiōnem.
Across languages
Translations
26 source translations are retained for this English entry.
- French: inversion — being in an inverted state
- Irish: aisiompú — being in an inverted state
- Spanish: invertimiento — being in an inverted state
- Chinese Mandarin: 轉位 /转位 (zhuǎnwèi) — musical senses
- French: renversement — musical senses
- Japanese: 転回形 — musical senses
- Japanese: インバージョン — musical senses
- Armenian: շրջադասություն (šrǰadasutʻyun) — deviation from standard word order
- Armenian: շրջում (šrǰum) — deviation from standard word order
- Bengali: অপেক্ষিক (opekkhik) — deviation from standard word order
- Bulgarian: инве́рсия (invérsija) — deviation from standard word order
- Chinese Mandarin: 倒裝 /倒装 (dàozhuāng) — deviation from standard word order
- Finnish: käänteinen sanajärjestys — deviation from standard word order
- French: inversion — deviation from standard word order
- German: Inversion — deviation from standard word order
- Greek: αναστροφή (anastrofí) — deviation from standard word order
- Greek: αντιστροφή (antistrofí) — deviation from standard word order
- Ido: inversigo — deviation from standard word order
- Japanese: 倒置法 (tōchihō) — deviation from standard word order
- Japanese: 転倒 (tentō) — deviation from standard word order
- Japanese: 倒置 (tōchi) — deviation from standard word order
- Macedonian: инве́рзија (invérzija) — deviation from standard word order
- Portuguese: inversão — deviation from standard word order
- Russian: инве́рсия (invérsija) — deviation from standard word order
- Russian: обра́тный поря́док слов (obrátnyj porjádok slov) — deviation from standard word order
- Spanish: inversión — deviation from standard word order
Real reading context