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Janus word

/ˈʤeɪnəs wɜrd/
IPA guide

Other forms: Janus words

A Janus word is a word that has two opposite meanings, such as the verb dust, which can mean "to remove fine particles from a surface" or "to sprinkle a surface with fine particles."

Janus words get their name from the Roman god Janus, the god of transitions and duality, who is often depicted as having two faces looking in opposite directions. Janus words are also called contronyms. Another example of a Janus word is the word oversight, a noun which can mean "watchful and responsible supervision" (e.g., "The committee provided oversight of the project") or "an unintentional failure to notice or do something" (e.g., "Leaving your name off the agenda was an oversight.")

Definitions of Janus word
  1. noun
    a word that has two contradictory or opposing meanings
    synonyms: contranym, contronym
    see moresee less
    type of:
    word
    a unit of language that native speakers can identify
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