converse, in logic, the proposition resulting from an interchange of subject and predicate with each other. Thus, the converse of “No man is a pencil” is “No pencil is a man.” In traditional syllogistics, generally only E (universal negative) and I (particular affirmative) propositions yield a valid converse. The converse of a relation R is the relation S such that xSy (y has the relation S to x) if, and only if, yRx (x has the relation R to y). If a relation is identical to its converse, it is symmetric.