adversarial
Britishadjective
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pertaining to or characterized by antagonism and conflict
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US term: adversary. having or involving opposing parties or interests in a legal contest
Explanation
Anything that's adversarial is full of intense disagreement and conflict. If you had an adversarial relationship with your sister, it would be extremely difficult to share a bedroom with her. Adversarial exchanges between countries don't bode well — they often lead to more intense conflicts, or possibly even war. Being adversarial means that each side is antagonistic, sharply opposed to the other, or locked into a deeply divided rivalry. In fact, this adjective is sometimes used simply to mean "hostile." Your adversary is your enemy or competitor, and both words stem from the Latin adversus, "turned against."
Vocabulary lists containing adversarial
ACT Reading Test: Words to Capture Tone, List 1
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Tone and Point of View, List 1
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Words to Capture Tone, List 1
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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.
The new agreement is expected to make U.S. access permanent and prohibit adversarial nations from establishing bases there.
From Salon ● Sep. 19, 2026
While adversarial crowds often are a home-field advantage, Matthews understands the challenge that lies ahead but is excited to be back and playing in front of the Cal faithful.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 30, 2026
But increasingly, as society becomes more litigious, they are adversarial; more like a courtroom TV drama.
From BBC ● Aug. 24, 2026
What matters is a safety standard that causes a dangerous capability to stay absent under adversarial testing.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026
And I'm being too adversarial, considering they spend all day working on how to save my life.
From "The Martian" by Andy Weir
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.
