This book investigates the nature of antonymy in natural language by proposing a distinction between systematic and non-systematic semantic opposites. Arthur Mettinger, a scholar in the field of lexicology, utilizes a corpus-based approach to examine how antonyms function within contemporary English prose. By identifying specific syntactic frames, the author provides a framework for understanding how these meaning relations are constructed and identified in actual usage.

Experts in linguistics recognize this work as a significant empirical contribution to the study of lexical semantics. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose, which serves as a foundational text for students and researchers interested in lexicography and meaning relations.