contrariety

American  

[kon-truh-rahy-i-tee] / ˌkɒn trəˈraɪ ɪ ti /

noun

contrarieties plural

1. the quality or state of being contrary.

2. something contrary or of opposite character; a contrary fact or statement.

3. Logic. the relation between contraries.

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contrariety British  

/ ˌkɒntrəˈraɪətɪ /

noun

1. opposition between one thing and another; disagreement

2. an instance of such opposition; inconsistency; discrepancy

3. logic the relationship between two contraries

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Other Word Forms

• noncontrariety
  noun

Etymology

Origin of contrariety

1350–1400; Middle English contrariete (< Anglo-French ) < Late Latin contrārietās. See contrary, -ity

Example Sentences

To hold out against Miss Waterhouse had sometimes been necessary to satisfy that spirit of contrariety which represents the workings of original sin in the best behaved of children.

From Abington Abbey A Novel by Marshall, Archibald

And yet, at the same moment, with a contrariety of feeling from which he shrank aghast, there was skulking into his mind all that grewsome company of doubts.

From The Prophet of the Great Smoky Mountains by Murfree, Mary Noailles

The contrariety is more apparent than real, as the operation consists in the removal of the coarser roots, a process which results in the development of a mass of fine feeding roots.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 13, Slice 7 "Horticulture" to "Hudson Bay" by Various

In opposition to, whether the opposition is of sentiment or of action; on the other side; counter to; in contrariety to; hence, adverse to; as, against reason; against law; to run a race against time.

From Webster's Unabridged Dictionary by Webster, Noah

"That a contrariety to moral rectitude was consequently infinitely displeasing to God and infinitely evil."

From Reason, The Only Oracle of Man Or a Compendius System of Natural Religion by Allen, Ethan