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Synonyms

contra

1 American  
[kon-truh] / ˈkɒn trə /

preposition

  1. against; in opposition or contrast to.

    Consider the problems of the teenager contra those of the adult.

adverb

  1. contrariwise; on or to the contrary.

contra 2 American  
[kon-truh, kawn-trah] / ˈkɒn trə, ˈkɔn trɑ /

noun

plural

contras

  1. (often initial capital letter) a member of a counterrevolutionary guerrilla group in Nicaragua.

contra- 3 American  

  1. a prefix meaning “against,” “opposite,” “opposing”.

    contradistinction, contraindicate.
contra- 4 American  

  1. a prefix meaning “pitched lower than” the voice or instrument specified by the following element.

    contralto, contrabassoon.
contra- British  

prefix

  1. against; contrary; opposing; contrasting

    contraceptive

    contradistinction

  2. (in music) pitched below

    contrabass
"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

Etymology

Origin of contra1

1350–1400; Middle English < Latin contrā

Origin of contra2

First recorded in 1980–85; from Central American Spanish, shortening of contrarrevolucionario “counterrevolutionary”

Origin of contra-3

< Late Latin, Latin, prefixal use of adverb and preposition contrā

Origin of contra-4

< Italian < Latin; contra- 1 ( def. ), counterpoint

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Wang and Pearl are expected to be arraigned this month in Contra Costa County Superior Court, though proceedings had previously been delayed at the request of defense attorneys, according to the district attorney’s office.

From Los Angeles Times

Growing up on his family’s East Contra Costa County farm in the 1960s, Dennis Baldocchi thought the whole world was foggy until a friend took him on a hike that climbed above it.

From The Wall Street Journal

Giraffes, contra Lamarck, didn’t reach for high leaves, develop long necks and then pass those necks on to their descendants.

From The Wall Street Journal

Su equipo Stripes perdió luego la final contra el equipo Stars por 47-21, y Anthony Edwards, de Minnesota, ganó el premio al jugador más valioso, que lleva el nombre de Kobe Bryant, tras anotar un total de 37 puntos en el torneo de todos contra todos.

From Los Angeles Times

UU. contra el mundo» en el Intuit Dome, se le preguntó a James si tenía alguna idea de lo que quería hacer la próxima temporada.

From Los Angeles Times

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.