contrary

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

/ ˈkɒn trɛr i; for 5 also kənˈtrɛər i /

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SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR contrary ON THESAURUS.COM

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

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 formscon·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 contrarily

Again, I say, exact testimonies; in reference unto circumstantial relations so diversly or contrarily delivered.
The Works of Sir Thomas Browne (Volume 2 of 3)|Thomas Browne
Then contrarily he did with the right hand what he had done with the left, and with the left what he had done with the right.
Gargantua and Pantagruel, Complete.|Francois Rabelais
Contrarily, despondency, or a lethargic state of mind, causes the movement of the blood to slacken.
The Life and Genius of Nathaniel Hawthorne|Frank Preston Stearns
It did seem hard that things should go so very "contrarily" sometimes.
Little Miss Peggy|Mrs. Molesworth

And contrarily it was the same familiarity which limned his faults so clearly and perhaps exaggerated them.
The Penalty|Gouverneur Morris

British Dictionary definitions for contrarily (1 of 2)

contrarily

adverb

(kənˈtrɛərɪlɪ) in a perverse or obstinate manner

(ˈkɒntrərɪlɪ) on the other hand; from the opposite point of view

(ˈkɒntrərɪlɪ) in an opposite, adverse, or unexpected way

British Dictionary definitions for contrarily (2 of 2)

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 Formscontrariness, 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 contrarily

contrary

see on the contrary; to the contrary.

contrary

adjective

noun, plural con·trar·ies.

adverb

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Nearby words

Idioms

Origin of contrary

Synonym study

Examples from the Web for contrarily

British Dictionary definitions for contrarily (1 of 2)

contrarily

adverb

British Dictionary definitions for contrarily (2 of 2)

contrary

adjective

noun plural -ries

adverb (usually foll by to)

Word Origin for contrary

Idioms and Phrases with contrarily

contrary