An inverted state: a state in which something has been turned (properly) upside down or (loosely) inside out or backwards.
"The child played with his socks, wearing them on the wrong foot to create an inverse look."
In plain English: An inverse is something that works exactly opposite to what you expect or how another thing functions.
"The inverse was exactly what we had been looking for to solve the problem."
To compute the bearing and distance between two points.
"The surveyor used an inverse calculation to determine the precise bearing and distance from the starting station to the new benchmark."
In plain English: To inverse something is to turn it upside down so that its opposite happens instead of what was expected.
"The software automatically inverts the colors on the screen to make them easier to read at night."
opposite in nature or effect or relation to another quantity
"a term is in inverse proportion to another term if it increases (or decreases) as the other decreases (or increases)"
Opposite in effect, nature or order.
"The inverse relationship between supply and demand means that as prices rise, the quantity bought often falls."
In plain English: Inverse means opposite or reversed, like doing something backwards instead of forwards.
"The inverse effect was that people felt more relaxed after seeing the green light."
Usage: Use "inverse" to describe a relationship where one thing is exactly opposite another, such as an inverse proportion where values move in contrary directions. Avoid confusing it with synonyms like "reverse," which typically refers only to changing the direction of motion rather than describing opposing mathematical or logical relationships.
The word "inverse" entered English around 1440 from the Latin inversus, which originally meant to have been turned or reversed. It combines the prefix meaning "backwards" with a root that simply means "to turn."