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Synonyms

au contraire

American  
[oh kawn-trer] / oʊ kɔ̃ˈtrɛr /
French.
  1. on the contrary.

  2. on the opposite or adverse side.


au contraire British  
/ o kɔ̃trɛr /

adverb

  1. on the contrary

"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

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.

See Examples For:

“Using less water didn’t affect the harvest, au contraire, it actually improved the grapes’ quality.

From Forbes ● Oct. 2, 2014

What is great news for the defense is also great news for the stability of the team as a whole; not that Karl W Ouimette was doing a bad job – au contraire.

From The Guardian ● Apr. 12, 2013

I don’t believe, bien au contraire, that anti-Semitism has its origins in secularism.

From Slate ● Mar. 29, 2012

Humans have no fear of Twinkies and cheeseburgers - au contraire - although these foods have become more dangerous to our health than anything that skitters, flits or crawls.

From Washington Post ● Oct. 25, 2010

Oh, my dear Mrs. Kemble, you must know how wrong all that is—tout au contraire, in fact. 

From Letters of Edward FitzGerald to Fanny Kemble (1871-1883) by William Aldis Wright

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