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adversary

[ ad-ver-ser-ee ]
/ ˈæd vərˌsɛr i /
SEE 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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Origin of adversary

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

synonym study for adversary

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.

OTHER WORDS FROM adversary

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

Words nearby adversary

adverbial, adverbial phrase, ad verbum, advergame, adversarial, adversary, adversaryism, adversative, adversative asyndeton, adverse, adverse possession
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to adversary

enemy, competitor, foe, rival, attacker, antagonist, bandit, contestant, opposer, match, opposite number, oppugner

Example sentences 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