1. a logical principle stating that a conditional statement is logically equivalent to its contrapositive (if not B, then not A is equivalent to if A, then B)
Usage: logic; formal
2. the act or state of being placed in opposition or contrast to something else
Usage: general

Examples

• In logic class, we learned that contraposition allows us to prove a statement by proving its contrapositive instead.
• The contraposition of 'if it rains, the ground is wet' is 'if the ground is not wet, it did not rain.'
• The artist used contraposition to highlight the differences between light and shadow in the painting.
• By contraposition, we can establish the truth of the original claim without directly proving it.
• The contraposition of two opposing ideas can create a powerful rhetorical effect.