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View synonyms for

contrary

[ kon-trer-ee; kuhn-trair-ee ]

adjective

  1. opposite in nature or character; diametrically or mutually opposed:

    contrary to fact; contrary propositions.

    Synonyms: , ,

  2. opposite in direction or position:

    departures in contrary directions.

  3. being the opposite one of two:

    I will make the contrary choice.

  4. unfavorable or adverse.

    Synonyms: ,

    Antonyms:

  5. perverse; stubbornly opposed or willful.

    Synonyms: , , , ,

    Antonyms: ,



noun

plural contraries.
  1. something that is contrary or opposite:

    to prove the contrary of a statement.

  2. either of two contrary things.
  3. Logic. a proposition so related to another proposition that both may not be true though both may be false, as with the propositions “All judges are male” and “No judges are male.”

adverb

  1. in opposition; oppositely; counter:

    to act contrary to one's own principles.

contrary

/ ˈɒԳٰəɪ /

adjective

  1. opposed in nature, position, etc

    contrary ideas

  2. əˈٰɛəɪ perverse; obstinate
  3. (esp of wind) adverse; unfavourable
  4. (of plant parts) situated at right angles to each other
  5. logic (of a pair of propositions) related so that they cannot both be true at once, although they may both be false together Compare subcontrary contradictory
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. the exact opposite (esp in the phrase to the contrary )
  2. on the contrary
    quite the reverse; not at all
  3. either of two exactly opposite objects, facts, or qualities
  4. logic a statement that cannot be true when a given statement is true
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

adverb

  1. in an opposite or unexpected way

    contrary to usual belief

  2. in conflict (with) or contravention (of)

    contrary to nature

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Derived Forms

  • DzˈٰԱ, noun
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Other yvlog Forms

  • Dzt·· [kon, -trer-, uh, -lee, k, uh, n-, trair, -], adverb
  • Dzt··Ա noun
  • quasi-Dzt·· adverb
  • ܲȴ-Dzt· adjective
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yvlog History and Origins

Origin of contrary1

First recorded in 1200–50; Middle English contrarie, from Anglo-French, from Latin DzԳٰܲ; equivalent to contra 1 + -ary
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yvlog History and Origins

Origin of contrary1

C14: from Latin DzԳٰܲ opposite, from DzԳٰ against
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Idioms and Phrases

  1. by contraries, contrary to expectation.
  2. on the contrary,
    1. in opposition to what has been stated.
    2. from another point of view:

      On the contrary, there may be some who would agree with you.

  3. to the contrary,
    1. to the opposite effect:

      I believe he is innocent, whatever they may say to the contrary.

    2. to a different effect.

More idioms and phrases containing contrary

see on the contrary ; to the contrary .
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Synonym Study

See opposite. Contrary, adverse both describe something that opposes. Contrary conveys an idea of something impersonal and objective whose opposition happens to be unfavorable: contrary winds. Adverse suggests something more personally unfriendly or even hostile; it emphasizes the idea of the resulting misfortune to that which is opposed: The judge rendered a decision adverse to the defendant.
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Last year, amid speculation to the contrary, he told The Times that he would “absolutely” run for reelection.

From

"DCMS insisted that these clubs were financially viable when it awarded the loans, despite public reports at the time to the contrary," said the PAC.

From

Trump’s presidency is characterized by a mean-spiritedness that runs contrary to the progressive vision of this country.

From

That includes groceries, which is contrary to the spending habits of my fellow Gen-Zers.

From

Should they pass, the RFU's remodelled structure would be contrary to standards set by funding bodies Sport England and UK Sport which support rugby union and the staging of major events.

From

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

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