contrapositive

/ˌkɑntrəˈpɑzɪtɪv/
noun
  1. A statement formed by negating and swapping the parts of a conditional statement (if P then Q becomes if not Q then not P).
    • The contrapositive of 'If it rains, the ground gets wet' is 'If the ground is not wet, it did not rain.'
    • She explained that the contrapositive is logically equivalent to the original statement.
    • Mathematicians often prove a theorem by proving its contrapositive instead.
adjective
  1. Relating to or being the contrapositive of a statement.
    • In the proof, they used a contrapositive approach.
    • The contrapositive form of the argument was easier to verify.
    • He wrote a contrapositive version of the rule for clarity.
What does "contrapositive" mean? | whatsthatwordmean | whatsthatwordmean