opponent
Americannoun
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opponents
plural
adjective
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being opposite, as in position.
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opposing; adverse; antagonistic.
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Anatomy. bringing parts together or into opposition, as a muscle.
noun
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a person who opposes another in a contest, battle, etc
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anatomy an opponent muscle
adjective
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opposite, as in position
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anatomy (of a muscle) bringing two parts into opposition
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opposing; contrary
Usage
What does opponent mean? An opponent is someone who is against another person, as in a game, exhibition, or controversy. Opponent can also sometimes be used to describe being in opposition, as in Felix saw no opponent reason to change his vote. Example: Our opponent is strong, so don’t do anything reckless during the game.
Synonym Usage
Opponent, competitor, rival refer to persons engaged in a contest. Opponent is the most impersonal, meaning merely one who opposes; perhaps one who continually blocks and frustrates or one who happens to be on the opposite side in a temporary contest: an opponent in a debate. Competitor emphasizes the action in striving against another, or others, for a definite, common goal: competitors in business. Rival has both personal and emotional connotations; it emphasizes the idea that (usually) two persons are struggling to attain the same object: rivals for an office.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of opponent
1580–90; < Latin oppōnent- (stem of oppōnēns, present participle of oppōnere to place over, against, or in front of, make an obstacle), equivalent to op- op- + pōn ( ere ) to place, set, put + -ent- -ent
Explanation
An opponent is your competition, whether it's a rival hockey team, or the other finalist in the chess tournament. Coaches tell you to never underestimate your opponent. Someone who competes or fights against you is your opponent. If you're arguing that chocolate ice cream is better than vanilla, the vanilla ice cream fan is your opponent. An opponent can also be someone who opposes, like an opponent of gun control laws. The Latin word opponent means setting against, and it was first used in English to describe the person who would begin a certain type of philosophical debate.
Vocabulary lists containing opponent
Vocabulary of the Summer Olympics
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Check It Out, Mate: Chess Vocabulary
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Excerpt from "The Philosophy of Literary Form" by Kenneth Burke
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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.
See Examples For:
This season, the Dream led the league in opponent turnover percentage and defensive rebounding rate.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
No team since the 1923 New York Yankees has been swept by a postseason opponent one year and beaten that same opponent the next October, and those Yankees had Babe Ruth.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 2026
But opponent Ernest Dyson, who lives near the proposed site, said it was "basically the destruction of the most beautiful part of the Menai Strait".
From BBC ● Oct. 10, 2026
“If I move my knight here, my opponent will move their rook here, and then I’ll have to…” This is an invaluable skill for life.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 6, 2026
He struggled with his unseen opponent, twisting, flailing his legs, and throwing himself from one side to the other.
From "The Book of Three" by Lloyd Alexander
Stuart Barrow's side thrashed the World Cup debutants 62-0 in August 2025 and claimed a record 82-0 win at Headingley over the same opponents in 2024.
From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026
The Dodgers need that guy striking fear into opponents.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026
His two latest Democratic opponents were products of the now smoke-free room.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026
Environmental groups and labor unions are among the numerous opponents of Prop.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 13, 2026
I’d hear my name and I’d limp on over to my teammates, occasionally issuing a high five and talking about how we were going to crush our opponents.
From "Ugly" by Robert Hoge
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
