nLab
antisymmetric relation

A (binary) relation on a set A is antisymmetric if any two elements that are related in both orders are equal:

(x,y:A),xyyxx=y\forall (x, y: A),\; x \sim y \;\wedge\; y \sim x \;\Rightarrow\; x = y

In the language of the 2-poset-with-duals Rel of sets and relations, a relation R:AA is antisymmetric if its intersection with its reverse is contained in the identity relation on A:

RR opid AR \cap R^{op} \subseteq \id_A

If an antisymmetric relation is also reflexive (as most are in practice), then this containment becomes an equality.