Inversion Meaning
/ɪnˈvɚ.ʒən/Definition, CEFR level B2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounThe action of inverting.
nounThe act of being in an inverted state; being upside down, inside out, or in a reverse sequence.
Sentence Examples
The weather inversion caused fog.
Inversion of the sentence changed meaning.
The linguistic rule requires a simple subject-verb inversion.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The weather phenomenon of temperature ____ happens when warm air traps cold air near the ground.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The linguistic study focused on the ____ of words in certain types of questions in various languages.
Word Origin & History
From Latin inversiōnem.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"Question formation involves the phenomenon commonly known as subject-auxiliary inversion, a change in word order in which the auxiliary moves in front of the subject."
— 2007/08, abergs, “INFL-to-COMP movement”, in English Language and Linguistics Online, archived from the original on 08 Jan 2018:
"We can seldom, therefore, congratulate ourselves on the success of any "cure" of inversion."
— 1897, W. Havelock Ellis, Sexual Inversion, page 202:
"Equal relationships can only exist between equals. Inversion is the most positive identity possible in the situation as it is now."
— 1971, Jude, “Destruction of "Sexual Duality"”, in Body Politic, number 1, page 3:
"My father, León Fuertes, was a fag three years; […] He put on all the trappings of inversion: the twittered mouthings, the hyper-feminine moues, the languid mincings."
— 1975, R. M. Koster, The Dissertation, page 118:
Explore More B2 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The weather phenomenon of temperature ____ happens when warm air traps cold air near the ground.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The linguistic study focused on the ____ of words in certain types of questions in various languages.