irreˈflexive, a.
[ir-2.]
Not reflexive. spec. in Logic and Math., of a relation which no postulate can have to itself. Hence irreˈflexiveness, irrefleˈxivity, the quality or property of being irreflexive. See also non-reflexive a., reflexive a.
| 1890 in Cent. Dict. 1933 Mind XLII. 36, a —fxx. 1952 S. C. Kleene Introd. Metamath. vii. 188 Connexity, irreflexiveness, asymmetry. 1954 I. M. Copi Symbolic Logic v. 143 An irreflexive relation is one which no individual has to itself. 1963 W. V. Quine Set Theory §21. 147 Or, better, stipulate the irreflexivity and derive the asymmetry. 1964 E. Bach Introd. Transformational Gram. vii. 156 No item precedes itself (irreflexivity). 1967 R. A. George tr. Carnap's Logical Struct. of World §11. 22 A relation is called a sequence if it is irreflexive and transitive (and hence asymmetrical) and connected. |