The role of polarity in antonym and synonym conceptual knowledge: Evidence from stroke aphasia and multidimensional ratings of abstract words

► The semantic features of abstract words remain poorly understood. ► This study directly compared different types of semantic relationship. ► Aphasic patients comprehend antonyms better than synonyms or other associates. ► Except for their polarity, antonyms are as or more similar than synonyms. ► Multiple cognitive domains contribute to the mapping of abstract semantic space.