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

contrarily, contrariness, contrarious, contrariously, contrariwise, contrary, contrary motion, contras, contrasexual, contrast, contrast bath

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.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR contrary ON THESAURUS.COM

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 contrary

Contrary to the popular narrative, TNR did not “die” last week.
The Rise and Fall of Chris Hughes and Sean Eldridge, America’s Worst Gay Power Couple|James Kirchick|December 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Contrary to what you may assume about me, I actually enjoy the occasional trip to the mall.
It’s Always Black Friday for Clerks|Michael Tomasky|November 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Contrary to the conventional wisdom, there is nothing intrinsically “progressive” about hating suburbs.
The Progressives’ War on Suburbia|Joel Kotkin|November 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
On the contrary, if the Court now decides to hear this case on the merits, it might be a fast-track.
Gay Marriage Chaos Begins|Jay Michaelson|November 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST

To the contrary, she said, she did not necessarily believe that collective bargaining needed to be reformed.
Meet Gina Raimondo, the Only Democratic Star of 2014|David Freedlander|November 6, 2014|DAILY BEAST
On the contrary, I am speeding them forward with added watchfulness.
The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898|E. H. Blair
On the contrary, His Imperial Majesty appeals to their sentiments of justice, and to the consciousness of their own dignity.
The British Expedition to the Crimea|William Howard Russell
On the contrary, it is almost directly favourable, but the question is whether they would venture out at all in such a storm.
A Canadian Heroine, Volume 2|Mrs. Harry Coghill
This is true; vital statistics and fiction to the contrary, notwithstanding.
The Sheriff of Badger|George B. Pattullo
Faith indeed tells what the senses do not tell, but not the contrary of what they see.
Pascal's Penses|Blaise Pascal

British Dictionary definitions for contrary

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

Word Origin and History for contrary

contrary

adj.

mid-14c., from Anglo-French contrarie, from Latin contrarius "opposite, opposed," from contra "against" (see contra).

If we take the statement All men are mortal, its contrary is Not all men are mortal, its converse is All mortal beings are men, & its opposite is No men are mortal. The contrary, however, does not exclude the opposite, but includes it as its most extreme form. Thus This is white has only one opposite, This is black, but many contraries, as This is not white, This is coloured, This is dirty, This is black; & whether the last form is called the contrary, or more emphatically the opposite, is usually indifferent. But to apply the opposite to a mere contrary (e.g. to I did not hit him in relation to I hit him, which has no opposite), or to the converse (e.g. to He hit me in relation to I hit him, to which it is neither contrary nor opposite), is a looseness that may easily result in misunderstanding; the temptation to go wrong is intelligible when it is remembered that with certain types of sentence (A exceeds B) the converse & the opposite are identical (B exceeds A). [Fowler]

As a noun from late 13c. Related: Contrarily; contrariwise.

Idioms and Phrases with contrary

contrary

see on the contrary; to the contrary.

contrary

adjective

noun, plural con·trar·ies.

adverb

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Origin of contrary

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Examples from the Web for contrary

British Dictionary definitions for contrary

contrary

adjective

noun plural -ries

adverb (usually foll by to)

Word Origin for contrary

Word Origin and History for contrary

contrary

Idioms and Phrases with contrary

contrary

contrary

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adverb

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Nearby words

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Origin of contrary

Synonym study

Examples from the Web for contrary

British Dictionary definitions for.css-ylq2vz{color:#1a1a1a;} contrary

contrary

adjective

noun plural -ries

adverb (usually foll by to)

Word Origin for contrary

Word Origin and History for contrary

contrary

Idioms and Phrases with contrary

contrary

adjective

British Dictionary definitions for contrary