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  • contra
    contra
    preposition
    against; in opposition or contrast to.
  • contra-
    contra-
    a prefix meaning “against,” “opposite,” “opposing”.
Synonyms

contra

1 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 2 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- 3 American  

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

    contradistinction, contraindicate.
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 contra1

1350–1400; Middle English < Latin contrā

Origin of contra2

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

Origin of contra-3

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

Origin of contra-4

< Italian < Latin; see 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.

In fact, a few campesinos destined for the camps have instead made their way to contra- controlled areas along the border with Honduras.

From Time Magazine Archive

Just days before the scheduled start of Gates' hearings, Alan Fiers, a former top CIA official, pleaded guilty to withholding information from Congress about his own knowledge of the contra- supply operation.

From Time Magazine Archive

He stands as a perfect contra- diction to those pedants who insist that journalism makes artistry impossible.

From Time Magazine Archive

This week the congressional committee will hear from Albert Hakim, an Iranian-born businessman who worked on both the Iran arms deal and the contra- arms network.

From Time Magazine Archive

Christian Science is neither made up of contra-         dictory aphorisms nor of the inventions of those who scoff 358:15 at God.

From Science and Health, with Key to the Scriptures by Eddy, Mary Baker

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.