oppositeoperation
nounUK /ˈɒpəzɪt ˌɒpəˈreɪʃən/
US /ˈɑːpəzɪt ˌɑːpəˈreɪʃən/
An opposite operation is a math action that undoes another action.
Addition and subtraction are opposite operations, so adding 5 and then subtracting 5 brings you back to where you started.
RELATED WORDS
OTHER MEANINGS
2. A step that cancels out the effect of a previous step in a sequence.
In the puzzle, turning the dial left was the opposite operation to turning it right.
3. In computing, a command that reverses the effect of another command.
The undo button performs the opposite operation of the last edit.
4. A procedure that returns a value to its original state.
Squaring and taking the square root are opposite operations for positive numbers.