adversary
Americannoun
plural
adversaries-
a person, group, or force that opposes or attacks; opponent; enemy; foe.
- Antonyms:
- ally
-
a person, group, etc., that is an opponent in a contest; contestant.
-
the Adversary, the devil; Satan.
adjective
-
of or relating to an adversary.
-
involving adversaries, as plaintiff and defendant in a legal proceeding.
an adversary trial.
noun
-
a person or group that is hostile to someone; enemy
-
an opposing contestant in a game or sport
adjective
Related Words
Adversary, antagonist mean a person or a group contending against another. Adversary suggests an enemy who fights determinedly, continuously, and relentlessly: a formidable adversary. Antagonist suggests one who, in hostile spirit, opposes another, often in a particular contest or struggle: a duel with an antagonist.
Other Word Forms
- adversariness noun
- nonadversarial adjective
Etymology
Origin of adversary
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English adversarie, from Latin adversārius; equivalent to adverse + -ary; replacing Middle English adversere, from Anglo-French
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 window between a vulnerability being discovered and being exploited by an adversary has collapsed -- what once took months now happens in minutes with AI," said Crowdstrik chief technology officer Elia Zaitsev.
From Barron's • Apr. 7, 2026
The trailer ends with a dramatic clip of Chani running towards an unseen adversary, before fading to black.
From BBC • Mar. 18, 2026
Anthropic is the first US company ever to have been publicly punished with such a designation, a label typically reserved for organizations from foreign adversary countries, such as Chinese tech giant Huawei.
From Barron's • Mar. 9, 2026
Many point to China as our emerging adversary, but it isn’t only Beijing we have to worry about.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 8, 2026
For a heavy badger, his adversary moved lightly and skillfully.
From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques
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.
