The act of turning something upside down, reversing its order, or doing the opposite of the usual pattern.
From Latin *inversio* “a turning upside down,” from *invertere* “to turn upside down,” from *in-* “in, on” and *vertere* “to turn.” It originally described physical flipping and later abstract reversals.
Inversion is a favorite trick in language, math, and music—just flip the usual pattern and you get something fresh. English questions like “Are you ready?” are literally just an inversion of “You are ready.”
'Sexual inversion' was a historical medicalized term used to pathologize homosexuality and gender nonconformity, often targeting women and gender-diverse people. This usage contributed to stigmatizing non-heteronormative identities under the guise of scientific description.
Avoid using 'inversion' in ways that echo outdated pathologizing language about sexuality or gender; if discussing history, clearly mark this as obsolete and harmful terminology.
["reversal","flip","upending","negation"]
LGBTQ+ activists and scholars, including many women and gender-diverse people, challenged the 'inversion' framework, helping to depathologize queer identities and reshape medical and legal discourse.
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