/ ˌɪnˈvɜːs; NAmE ˌɪnˈvɜːrs/ adjective
1.
[ only before noun ] opposite in amount or position to sth else :
A person's wealth is often in inverse proportion to their happiness (= the more money they have, the less happy they are) .
There is often an inverse relationship between the power of the tool and how easy it is to use.
2.
the ˈinverse noun [ sing. ] ( technical ) the exact opposite of sth
► in·verse·ly / ˌɪnˈvɜːsli; NAmE -ˈvɜːrs-/ adverb :
We regard health as inversely related to social class.
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WORD ORIGIN
late Middle English : from Latin inversus , past participle of invertere literally turn inside out, from in- into + vertere to turn.