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.
There is “a generation of people whose path to upward mobility and sophistication lies in embracing this adversarial culture,” Mr. Salam says.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 1, 2026
Planet initially said its original 14-day delay policy was "to ensure our imagery is not tactically leveraged by adversarial actors to target allied and Nato-partner personnel and civilians".
From BBC • Apr. 11, 2026
Rival U.S. firms are sharing information to detect so-called adversarial distillation attempts that violate their terms of service.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2026
"This measure is intended to prevent adversarial actors endangering the safety of allied and NATO-partner personnel and civilians there," it added.
From Barron's • Mar. 6, 2026
Attempting to improve even one part of the food system, though, could set off adversarial ripples.
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
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.
