contrary

American  

[kon-trer-ee, kuhn-trair-ee] / ˈkɒn trɛr i, kənˈtrɛər i /

adjective

1. opposite in nature or character; diametrically or mutually opposed.

   contrary to fact; contrary propositions.

   Synonyms:

   counter, conflicting, contradictory

2. opposite in direction or position.

   departures in contrary directions.

3. being the opposite one of two.

   I will make the contrary choice.

4. unfavorable or adverse.

   Synonyms:

   hostile, unfriendly

   Antonyms:

   favorable

5. perverse; stubbornly opposed or willful.

   Synonyms:

   pigheaded, stubborn, headstrong, obstinate, intractable

   Antonyms:

   complaisant, obliging

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noun

contraries plural

1. something that is contrary or opposite.

   to prove the contrary of a statement.

2. either of two contrary things.

3. 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

1. in opposition; oppositely; counter.

   to act contrary to one's own principles.

idioms

1. by contraries, contrary to expectation.

2. on the contrary,

   1. in opposition to what has been stated.

   2. from another point of view.

      On the contrary, there may be some who would agree with you.

3. to the contrary,

   1. to the opposite effect.

      I believe he is innocent, whatever they may say to the contrary.

   2. to a different effect.

contrary British  

/ ˈkɒntrərɪ /

adjective

1. opposed in nature, position, etc

   contrary ideas

2. perverse; obstinate

3. (esp of wind) adverse; unfavourable

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

5. logic (of a pair of propositions) related so that they cannot both be true at once, although they may both be false together Compare subcontrary contradictory

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noun

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

2. quite the reverse; not at all

3. either of two exactly opposite objects, facts, or qualities

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

adverb

1. in an opposite or unexpected way

   contrary to usual belief

2. in conflict (with) or contravention (of)

   contrary to nature

contrary More Idioms  

1. see on the contrary; to the contrary.

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Synonym Usage

See opposite. 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.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• contrariness
  noun
• quasi-contrary
  adjective
• contrarily
  adverb
• quasi-contrarily
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• contraries
  plural

Etymology

Origin of contrary

First recorded in 1200–50; Middle English contrarie, from Anglo-French, from Latin contrārius; equivalent to contra ¹ + -ary

Explanation

Use contrary when two things are exactly opposite or entirely different. If something is contrary to something else, it is opposed to or against it. A contrary child is one who opposes people in authority. As a noun, the contrary means the opposite, as in "We will not give up; on the contrary, we will fight with all our power." The adjective contrary derives from Latin contrarius ("opposite, opposed") from contra ("against").

Example Sentences

The UK’s annual inflation rate remained at 2.8% in May, contrary to economists’ expectations of a rise to 3.0%.

From Barron's • Jun. 17, 2026

Did the nation’s history and traditions set up this double standard and “allow Idaho to compel this sacrifice”? Winmill observed that Seyb had produced significant evidence to the contrary.

From Slate • Jun. 16, 2026

This means that any really hot air will stay locked away to the south of us, contrary to what it looked like earlier in the week.

From BBC • Jun. 12, 2026

Lithgow, to the contrary, was clearly stunned — and deeply honored.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 8, 2026

To the contrary, reform work is the work of movement building, provided that it is done consciously as movement-building work.

From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander

Related Words

• adverse
• antithetical
• conflicting
• contradictory
• discordant
• hostile
• inconsistent
• inimical
• negative
• opposed
• paradoxical
• wrongheaded