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Synonyms

contra-

1 American  

  1. a prefix meaning “against,” “opposite,” “opposing”.

    contradistinction, contraindicate.
contra 2 American  
[kon-truh] / ˈkɒn trə /

preposition

  1. against; in opposition or contrast to.

    Consider the problems of the teenager contra those of the adult.

adverb

  1. contrariwise; on or to the contrary.

contra 3 American  
[kon-truh, kawn-trah] / ˈkɒn trə, ˈkɔn trɑ /

noun

plural

contras

  1. (often initial capital letter) a member of a counterrevolutionary guerrilla group in Nicaragua.

contra- 4 American  

  1. a prefix meaning “pitched lower than” the voice or instrument specified by the following element.

    contralto, contrabassoon.
contra- British  

prefix

  1. against; contrary; opposing; contrasting

    contraceptive

    contradistinction

  2. (in music) pitched below

    contrabass
"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

Etymology

Origin of contra-1

< Late Latin, Latin, prefixal use of adverb and preposition contrā

Origin of contra1

1350–1400; Middle English < Latin contrā

Origin of contra1

First recorded in 1980–85; from Central American Spanish, shortening of contrarrevolucionario “counterrevolutionary”

Origin of contra-1

< Italian < Latin; contra- 1 ( def. ), counterpoint

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.

This season’s mantra is “be yourself, be legendary” — a lyric from the hip-hop group Coast Contra’s “Breathe and Stop Freestyle.”

From Los Angeles Times

Mr Isker and Mr Engel announced their move to Gainesboro last year on their podcast Contra Mundum - Latin for "against the world".

From BBC

San Ramon, one of the largest cities in Contra Costa County, and the surrounding Tri-Valley area, is no stranger to earthquake swarms, according to Annemarie Baltay, a U.S.

From Los Angeles Times

The fault runs from around the unincorporated community of Alamo in Contra Costa County southeast along Interstate 680 through areas around Danville, Dublin and Pleasanton.

From Los Angeles Times

Clark Pest Control of Stockton, Crane Pest Control, and Orkin Services quickly settled with Ventura, Orange and Riverside counties and nine other California counties over allegations made against the trio in Contra Costa Superior Court.

From Los Angeles Times

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.