ANTIP'ATHY, noun [Gr. against, and feeling.]

1. Natural aversion; instinctive contrariety or opposition in feeling; an aversion felt at the presence, real or ideal, of a particular object. This word literally denotes a natural aversion, which may be of different degrees, and in some cases may excite terror or horror at the presence of an object. Such is the aversion of animals for their natural enemies, as the antipathy of a mouse to a cat, or a weasel. Sometimes persons have an insuperable constitutional antipathy to certain kinds of food.

The word is applied also to aversion contracted by experience or habit; as when a person has suffered an injury from some food, or from an animal, which before was not an object of hatred; or when a particular kind of food or medicine is taken into a sickly stomach, and which nauseates it; the effect is antipathy which is often of long continuance.

2. In ethics, antipathy is hatred, aversion or repugnancy; hatred to persons; aversion to persons or things; repugnancy to actions. Of these hatred is most voluntary. Aversion, and antipathy in its true sense, depend more on the constitution; repugnancy may depend on reason or education.

Inveterate antipathies against particular nations, and passionate attachments to others, are to be avoided.

3. In physics, a contrariety in the properties or affections of matter, as of oil and water, which will not mix.

Antipathy is regularly followed by to, sometimes by against; and is opposed to sympathy.