antimetabole

From Ancient Greek ἀντιμεταβολή (antimetabolḗ). By surface analysis, anti- (“opposite”) +‎ Ancient Greek μετᾰβολή (metabolḗ, “transformation”).

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˌæn.tɪ.məˈtæ.bə.li/, /ˌæn.tɪ.mɛˈtæ.bə.li/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˌæn.ti.məˈtæ.bə.li/, /ˌæn.taɪ.məˈtæ.bə.li/, /ˌæn.tə.məˈtæ.bə.li/

antimetabole (countable and uncountable, plural antimetaboles)

1. (rhetoric) The technique of repeating a phrase while reversing the order of certain elements or its grammatical structure, as a form of juxtaposition.
   • [1835, L[arret] Langley, A Manual of the Figures of Rhetoric, […], Doncaster: Printed by C. White, Baxter-Gate, →OCLC, page 90:

     Antimetabole at effect will strain,
     And words and terms revers'd employ again.]

   • 2008, Michael E Eidenmuller, Great Speeches For Better Speaking, page 92:

     "Mankind must put an end to war or else war will put an end to mankind." Many other instances may be found in kind. As one reserves fine china for the most special occasions and in only the most select company, so Kennedy used his beloved antimetabole.

• antimetabolic
• antimetabolite
• metabola
• metabolism

• chiasmus

•   antimetabole on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

From Ancient Greek ἀντιμεταβολή (antimetabolḗ).

antimetabole f (plural antimetaboli)

1. antimetabole