contrastive

adjective

con·​tras·​tive kən-ˈtra-stiv How to pronounce contrastive (audio) ˈkän-ˌtra- How to pronounce contrastive (audio)
: forming or consisting of a contrast
contrastively adverb

Examples of contrastive in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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The contrastive reframe is a rhetorical device that is not new and, when used sparingly, lands well. Bisera Lakinska, Forbes.com, 5 June 2026 This can be made to work using some of the latest developments in non-contrastive SSL methods, particularly a method that my colleagues and I recently proposed called VICReg (Variance, Invariance, Covariance Regularization). IEEE Spectrum, 22 Feb. 2022 The group with contrastive analysis not only discovered something about English. The Economist, 2 Nov. 2017 While climbing a Martian mountain, NASA's Curiosity rover has come across a crater capable of creating contrastive chemical environments. David Grossman, Popular Mechanics, 14 Dec. 2016

Word History

Etymology

contrast entry 1 + -ive

First Known Use

1841, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of contrastive was in 1841

Cite this Entry

“Contrastive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/contrastive. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.

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