adversary

[ ad-ver-ser-ee ]
See synonyms for: adversaryadversaries on Thesaurus.com

noun,plural ad·ver·sar·ies.
  1. a person, group, or force that opposes or attacks; opponent; enemy; foe.

  2. a person, group, etc., that is an opponent in a contest; contestant.

  1. the Adversary, the devil; Satan.

adjectiveAlso especially British, ad·ver·sar·i·al [ad-ver-sair-ee-uhl]. /ˌæd vərˈsɛər i əl/.
  1. of or relating to an adversary.

  2. involving adversaries, as plaintiff and defendant in a legal proceeding: an adversary trial.

Origin of adversary

1
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English adversarie, from Latin adversārius; equivalent to adverse + -ary; replacing Middle English adversere, from Anglo-French

synonym study For adversary

1. Adversary, antagonist mean a person or a group contending against another. Adversary suggests an enemy who fights determinedly, continuously, and relentlessly: a formidable adversary. Antagonist suggests one who, in hostile spirit, opposes another, often in a particular contest or struggle: a duel with an antagonist.

Opposites for adversary

Other words from adversary

  • ad·ver·sar·i·ness, noun
  • non·ad·ver·sar·i·al, adjective

Words Nearby adversary

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use adversary in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for adversary

adversary

/ (ˈædvəsərɪ) /


nounplural -saries
  1. a person or group that is hostile to someone; enemy

  2. an opposing contestant in a game or sport

adjective
  1. the US term for adversarial (def. 2)

Origin of adversary

1
C14: from Latin adversārius, from adversus against. See adverse

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