Essential Word Roots: Contra and Counter

Prepare for the TOEFL Exam by learning these words that contain the roots contra or counter, meaning "against" or "opposite."
10 words 282 learners

Learn words with Flashcards and other activities

Definition First
Print Flashcards

Other learning activities

Answer a few questions about each word. Use this to prep for your next quiz! Compete with other teams in real time to see who answers the most questions correctly! Test your spelling acumen. Read the definition, listen to the word and try spelling it!

Teaching tools

Create and assign quizzes to your students to test their vocabulary. Assign learning activities including Practice, Vocabulary Jams and Spelling Bees to your students, and monitor their progress in real-time.

Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. contraband
    goods whose trade or possession is prohibited by law
    He moonlights as a smuggler, ferrying mail, contraband, and people across the broad Potomac into Virginia. Lincoln's Last Days: The Shocking Assassination that Changed America Forever
  2. contradictory
    in disagreement
    His contemporaries are divided on the question, and his own notes are contradictory. Big Science
  3. contrary
    very opposed in nature or character or purpose
    Constantly look for contrary evidence and alternative explanations. Slate (Jun 12, 2017)
  4. contrast
    the opposition or dissimilarity of things that are compared
    The contrast suggests drastically different choices to some community leaders. Washington Post (Jun 8, 2017)
  5. controversial
    marked by or capable of causing disagreement
    It's still a controversial theory, and more research is needed. Time (Jun 8, 2017)
  6. controversy
    a dispute where there is strong disagreement
    There is much uncertainty about the interpretation of experimental data and a great deal of controversy surrounding the theories. The Sense of Style
  7. counterargument
    an opinion offered in opposition to another position
    Citations assure the reader that you have engaged with the strongest counterarguments and facts. Slate (Feb 18, 2013)
  8. counterclaim
    a legal action taken in opposition to another legal action
    The suit and counterclaim are filed in United States District Court for the Northern District of California. New York Times (Mar 15, 2011)
  9. counterfeit
    not genuine; imitating something superior
    Police are asking shop owners and customers to be on the lookout for counterfeit bills when exchanging money. Washington Times (May 14, 2017)
  10. counterpart
    a person or thing having the same function as another
    The women pilots soon learned to keep this information to themselves, and their accident rate was less than that of their male counterparts. Women in Space
Created on Thu Sep 09 17:56:21 EDT 2021 (updated Tue Sep 21 14:48:47 EDT 2021)

Sign up now (it’s free!)

Whether you’re a teacher or a learner, Vocabulary.com can put you or your class on the path to systematic vocabulary improvement.