- present participle of oppose.
opposing
Americanadjective
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fighting or acting against something or someone.
The Taoist concept of health is harmony between the opposing forces of the natural world—between yin and yang.
Humane treatment of prisoners ensured that many combatants in the opposing army preferred captivity over death in battle.
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of or being a player, team, participant, etc., competing against another in a game or contest.
If a game is rained out, reschedule a makeup date with the opposing captain.
The single most important reason citizens voted that year was to ensure that the opposing candidate lost.
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being, expressing, or supporting a hostile or conflicting opinion, proposal, etc..
The reporters responsible for those stories failed to balance their coverage with an opposing view.
One faction wants to return us to the 1950s, while the opposing faction wants to adapt to the 21st century.
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standing in the way of someone or something; being or providing a hindrance.
Sometimes, despite all opposing circumstances, a painful step or two of progress will be achieved.
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facing something else, or moving in the other direction.
We waited as the opposing traffic cleared, and then it was our turn to go.
The rails are to be mounted parallel to one another on opposing walls of the cargo area.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of opposing
First recorded in 1580–90, as a noun; oppos(e) ( def. ) + -ing 2 ( def. )
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.
The judge made the decision after an emergency hearing in which she sharply criticized the government for failing to notify the court and the opposing side of its plans until late Friday.
From Barron's ● Oct. 13, 2026
Despite this, the opposing forces have managed to seize large portions of the country, particularly in the north and west.
From BBC ● Oct. 11, 2026
Couples with opposing spending habits must keep open lines of communication to preserve their relationship.
From Barron's ● Oct. 10, 2026
So Mestemaker spent his last high-school season playing defensive back, making it his mission to outsmart opposing quarterbacks.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026
Even the rabbinic faculty was split, most of the rabbis voicing their hope for a Jewish state, some of them opposing it, while all of the college faculty seemed to be for it.
From "The Chosen" by Chaim Potok
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.
