anti

The word “anti” means opposed to a particular idea, policy, or plan. In plain terms, being against something, or a person who is against something.

“Anti” is pronounced AN-tee (/ˈæn.taɪ/ in IPA).

Here is “anti” used in a sentence: “He's pretty anti when it comes to raising taxes.”

The opposite of “anti” — its antonyms — is pro.

Depending on how it is used, “anti” can be an adjective and a noun.

“Anti” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B1 level.

“Anti” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: opposed to a particular idea, policy, or plan.

Pro and anti are direct opposites. To be pro something is to support or favour it, while to be anti something is to oppose or be against it. Someone pro-reform backs the changes; someone anti-reform wants to block them. The two work as a matched pair, both as prefixes and as standalone words.

It is both. As a prefix, anti- attaches to other words to mean 'against', as in anti-war or antifreeze. On its own, 'anti' works as an informal adjective or preposition meaning opposed, as in 'I'm anti the whole plan'. The standalone use is more casual than the joined prefix.

Using 'anti' as a standalone adjective, as in 'She's very anti', is informal and conversational. In formal writing it usually appears as a prefix joined to another word, or is replaced by fuller phrases such as 'opposed to' or 'against'. Both are correct, but the standalone form suits speech best.

You might say 'The committee was strongly anti the proposed merger', meaning they opposed it. Other everyday examples include 'He's anti anything new' or 'Most residents are anti the development'. In each case, 'anti' stands alone to signal opposition without being attached to another word.