contrary

[ kon-trer-ee; for 5 also kuhn-trair-ee ]

/ ˈkɒn trɛr i; for 5 also kənˈtrɛər i /

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adjective

opposite in nature or character; diametrically or mutually opposed: contrary to fact; contrary propositions.

opposite in direction or position: departures in contrary directions.

being the opposite one of two: I will make the contrary choice.

unfavorable or adverse.

perverse; stubbornly opposed or willful.

noun, plural con·trar·ies.

something that is contrary or opposite: to prove the contrary of a statement.

either of two contrary things.

Logic. a proposition so related to another proposition that both may not be true though both may be false, as with the propositions “All judges are male” and “No judges are male.”

adverb

in opposition; oppositely; counter: to act contrary to one's own principles.

Nearby words

contrarian, contrariety, contrarily, contrarious, contrariwise, contrary, contrary motion, contrasexual, contrast, contrast bath, contrast enema

Idioms

by contraries, contrary to expectation.

on the contrary,

in opposition to what has been stated.
from another point of view: On the contrary, there may be some who would agree with you.

to the contrary,

to the opposite effect: I believe he is innocent, whatever they may say to the contrary.
to a different effect.

Origin of contrary

1200–50; Middle English contrarie < Anglo-French < Latin contrārius. See contra¹, -ary

SYNONYMS FOR contrary

1 contradictory, conflicting, counter.

4 unfriendly, hostile.

5 intractable, obstinate, headstrong, stubborn, pig-headed.

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ANTONYMS FOR contrary

4 favorable.

5 obliging, complaisant.

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Related forms

con·trar·i·ly

[kon-trer-uh-lee, kuhn-trair-] /ˈkɒn trɛr ə li, kənˈtrɛər-/, adverbcon·trar·i·ness, nounqua·si-con·trar·i·ly, adverbqua·si-con·trar·y, adjective

Synonym study

1. See opposite. 4. Contrary, adverse both describe something that opposes. Contrary conveys an idea of something impersonal and objective whose opposition happens to be unfavorable: contrary winds. Adverse suggests something more personally unfriendly or even hostile; it emphasizes the idea of the resulting misfortune to that which is opposed: The judge rendered a decision adverse to the defendant.

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

Examples from the Web for contraries

The title of the Donne poem is “Oh, to Vex Me, Contraries Meet as One.”
Cynthia Nixon on Bisexuality & Her New Role in ‘Wit’|Kevin Sessums|January 24, 2012|DAILY BEAST
For fearfulness seemeth in a manner contrary to boldness, and contraries can never co-exist.
The Teaching of Epictetus|Epictetus
Contraria contrariis curantur—Contraries are cured by contraries.
Dictionary of Quotations from Ancient and Modern, English and Foreign Sources|James Wood
Those who are to be unhappy, think & speak only of the contraries.
Benjamin Franklin|Frank Luther Mott

And the nature of males and females, of heat and cold, and of such other pairs of contraries, was reversed.
The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa Bk. 3 Pt. 2|Translated by Kisari Mohan Ganguli
We are always imitating England: the attraction of contraries, I suppose, because we are surrounded by land as they are by water.
King John of Jingalo|Laurence Housman

British Dictionary definitions for contraries

contrary

/ (ˈkɒntrərɪ) /

adjective

opposed in nature, position, etccontrary ideas

(kənˈtrɛərɪ) perverse; obstinate

(esp of wind) adverse; unfavourable

(of plant parts) situated at right angles to each other

logic (of a pair of propositions) related so that they cannot both be true at once, although they may both be false togetherCompare subcontrary (def. 2), contradictory (def. 3)

noun plural -ries

the exact opposite (esp in the phrase to the contrary)

on the contrary quite the reverse; not at all

either of two exactly opposite objects, facts, or qualities

logic a statement that cannot be true when a given statement is true

adverb (usually foll by to)

in an opposite or unexpected waycontrary to usual belief

in conflict (with) or contravention (of)contrary to nature

Derived Forms

contrariness, noun

Word Origin for contrary

C14: from Latin contrārius opposite, from contrā against

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

Idioms and Phrases with contraries

contrary

see on the contrary; to the contrary.

contrary

adjective

noun, plural con·trar·ies.

adverb

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RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Idioms

Origin of contrary

SYNONYMS FOR contrary

ANTONYMS FOR contrary

Related forms

Synonym study

Examples from the Web for contraries

British Dictionary definitions for contraries

contrary

adjective

noun plural -ries

adverb (usually foll by to)

Derived Forms

Word Origin for contrary

Idioms and Phrases with contraries

contrary