比起汉语来，英语词有个待点——即这里要讨论的“正词反义”现象。所谓“正词”就是词的具有正义的正身。如果这个正身竞表示了相反的词义，那便是“正词反义”现象。“正词反义”是“同词反义”的一种特殊形式。

如果说，“fire”作“火”或“开火”——“开枪”（或“开炮”）——解，是“正词正义”；那么，作“反火”即“防火”解的“fire”，便是“正词反义”了。现各举一例如下：

1. 正词正义：fireing squad开枪队（即开枪射击以执行死刑或为葬仪志哀的一队人）。

2. 正词反义：fire department 防火处即消防处。应该说，正词正义是常例而正词反义是变例。请看“正词反义”的实例：

3. The stakes are staggering. The tilt of the power balance in Europe is now decided at the Vienna arms conference〔意为“disarmament conference”，即“裁（减）军（备）会议”〕。

                                              一Readers Digest, January 1974, p.27

4. A loyal member of a local Evangelical church, he believes that his pornography campaign 〔意为“antipornography cainpaign”即“反黄色书画电影……运动”〕。

5. The requirement that certain contract must be in writing was first adopted by the British Parliament in 1677, in an act known as the statute of frauds (a more accurate title would have been“statute to prevent frauds”〔“防止欺诈条例”〕。

                                            —You and the Law, 1980, p.206

6. Florida's oil-pollution law〔意为“anti-oil-pollution law”即“防治油（料）污（染）法”〕。requires the licensing of many marina fuel docks,

                                           —Reader's Digest, February 1974, p.86 

7. During past seven years, some 3697 arrests have led to 2914 convictions for violations of federal and state obscenity laws〔意为“anti-obscenity laws”即“反猥亵法”〕。

                                           一Reader's Digest, May 1970, p.214 

8. Sulina ... went voluntarily to see if she could help the Serious Crime Squad〔意为“Anti-Serious-Crime Squad”即“反严重犯罪队”〕 investigating internal frauds .... 

                                          一Daily Mail, May 7, 1977, p.3

9. Neither Roberts nor I commented. One of the ftrst things a homicide detective〔意为 “anti-homicide detective”即“破凶杀案侦探”〕learns is not to assume anything not supported by clear evidence.

                                       —True Detective, June 1980，p.14