For the comparison of quantities, again, we have three correlative terms, 'greater--equal--less,' and none of these is the contradictory of either of the others.

In fact, the contradictory of any term is one that denotes the sum of its co-ordinates (Sec.

6); and to obtain a contradictory, the surest way is to coin one by prefixing to the given term the particle 'not' or (sometimes) 'non': as 'wise, not-wise,' 'human, non-human,' 'greater, not-greater.' The separate word 'not' is surer to constitute a contradictory than the usual prefixes of negation, 'un-' or 'in-,' or even 'non'; since compounds of these are generally warped by common use from a purely negative meaning.

Thus, 'Nonconformist' does not denote everybody who fails to conform.

'Unwise' is not equivalent to 'not-wise,' but means 'rather foolish'; a very foolish action is not-wise, but can only be called unwise by meiosis or irony.