definitions

adversary

[ ad-ver-ser-ee ]
/ ˈæd vərˌsɛr i /
|
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR adversary ON THESAURUS.COM

noun, plural ad·ver·sar·ies.

a person, group, or force that opposes or attacks; opponent; enemy; foe.
a person, group, etc., that is an opponent in a contest; contestant.
the Adversary, the devil; Satan.

adjective Also especially British, ad·ver·sar·i·al [ad-ver-sair-ee-uhl] /ˌæd vərˈsɛər i əl/.

of or relating to an adversary.
involving adversaries, as plaintiff and defendant in a legal proceeding: an adversary trial.

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RELATED WORDS

enemy, competitor, foe, rival, antagonist, bandit, contestant, opposer, match

Nearby words

adverb clause, adverbial, adverbial phrase, advergame, adversarial, adversary, adversaryism, adversative, adversative asyndeton, adverse, adverse possession

Origin of adversary

1300–50; Middle English adversarie < Latin adversārius, equivalent to advers(us) (see adverse) + -ārius -ary; replacing Middle English adversere < Anglo-French

Related forms

ad·ver·sar·i·ness, nounnon·ad·ver·sar·i·al, adjective

Synonym study

1. 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.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for adversary

British Dictionary definitions for adversary

adversary

/ (ˈædvəsərɪ) /

noun plural -saries

a person or group that is hostile to someone; enemy
an opposing contestant in a game or sport

adjective

the US term for adversarial (def. 2)

Word Origin for adversary

C14: from Latin adversārius, from adversus against. See adverse
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012