contrary
Other forms: contraries
Use contrary when two things are exactly opposite or entirely different. If something is contrary to something else, it is opposed to or against it.
A contrary child is one who opposes people in authority. As a noun, the contrary means the opposite, as in "We will not give up; on the contrary, we will fight with all our power." The adjective contrary derives from Latin contrarius ("opposite, opposed") from contra ("against").
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exact opposition“public opinion to the contrary he is not guilty”
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type of:
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oppositeness, opposition
the relation between opposed entities
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oppositeness, opposition
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a relation of direct opposition
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type of:
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oppositeness, opposition
the relation between opposed entities
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oppositeness, opposition
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a logical relation such that two propositions are contraries if both cannot be true but both can be false
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type of:
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logical relation
a relation between propositions
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logical relation
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in an opposing direction“a contrary wind”
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synonyms:
adverse
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unfavorable, unfavourable
(of winds or weather) tending to hinder or oppose
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unfavorable, unfavourable
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very opposed in nature or character or purpose“acts contrary to our code of ethics”“the facts point to a contrary conclusion”
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Synonyms:
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different
unlike in nature, quality, form, or degree
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different
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of words or propositions so related that both cannot be true but both may be false“`hot' and `cold' are contrary terms”
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Synonyms:
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antonymous
of words: having opposite meanings
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antonymous
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resistant to guidance or discipline“Mary Mary quite contrary”
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disobedient
not obeying or complying with commands of those in authority
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disobedient
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A paragraph of text
Copy citationVocabulary lists containing contrary
Third-grader Maggie Schultz decides she does not want to learn how to read and write cursive.
Robert, a twelve-year-old boy who hates math, meets a Number Devil in his dreams who helps him explore, understand, and appreciate the powerful world of numbers.
Prepare for the TOEFL Exam by learning these words that contain the roots contra or counter, meaning "against" or "opposite."
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