contrary

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

/ ˈkɒn trɛr i; for 5 also kənˈtrɛər i /

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See synonyms for: contrary / contraries / contrarily / contrariness 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.

OTHER WORDS FOR contrary

1 contradictory, conflicting, counter.

4 unfriendly, hostile.

5 intractable, obstinate, headstrong, stubborn, pigheaded,

See synonyms for contrary on Thesaurus.com

OPPOSITES FOR contrary

4 favorable.

5 obliging, complaisant.

See antonyms for contrary on Thesaurus.com

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Idioms about contrary

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

synonym study for contrary

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.

OTHER WORDS FROM contrary

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

Words nearby contrary

contrarian, contrariety, contrarily, contrarious, contrariwise, contrary, contrary motion, contrasexual, contrast, contrastive, contrastive stress

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use contrary in a sentence

This senseless policy needlessly puts lives at risk, and it’s critical that the American people speak out about why this rule change is dangerous and contrary to our values.
Trump administration targets homeless trans Americans|Jennifer Wexton|September 2, 2020|Washington Blade
Quite the contrary, the delays help ensure legitimacy of the votes.
The biggest threat to mail-in voting isn’t security—it’s politics|matthewheimer|August 24, 2020|Fortune
On the contrary, you can run 404 checks to locate pages that are not working anymore to ensure that they are redirected in the correct page.
Three SEO mistakes that can impact your search rankings|Tereza Litsa|August 24, 2020|Search Engine Watch
On the contrary, the whole point is that business on its own can make the world a better place.
Revisiting the Business Roundtable’s ‘Stakeholder Capitalism,’ one year later|Geoffrey Colvin|August 19, 2020|Fortune

And, contrary to popular belief, I’m also a huge proponent of public transportation.
Admit it: You miss being stuck in traffic|matthewheimer|August 17, 2020|Fortune
He argues persuasively that the decision to launch the attack was completely contrary to reason and good military judgment.
Hitler’s Hail Mary|James A. Warren|December 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
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
No, on the contrary, only a fraction of this country, a part which I would call the best of Italy, is against the Mafia.
Days of Mafia Mayhem Are Wracking Italy Once Again|Barbie Latza Nadeau|November 22, 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
Whether they had ever, at different times, pleaded for or against the same cause, and cited precedents to prove contrary opinions?
Gulliver's Travels|Jonathan Swift
My husband detests them; on the contrary, I like those carriages, for they tell me of happy—I mean to say, of former times.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 60, No. 372, October 1846|Various
This seems to be contrary to the spirit and intent of the act, which is primarily to centralize reserves in Federal Reserve Banks.
Readings in Money and Banking|Chester Arthur Phillips
On the contrary, the full meaning of the act is manifestly opposed to such an idea.
Readings in Money and Banking|Chester Arthur Phillips
Mrs. Pontellier was not a woman given to confidences, a characteristic hitherto contrary to her nature.
The Awakening and Selected Short Stories|Kate Chopin

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 forms of contrary

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

Other Idioms and Phrases with contrary

contrary

see on the contrary; to the contrary.

contrary

OTHER WORDS FOR contrary

OPPOSITES FOR contrary

Idioms about contrary

Origin of contrary

synonym study for contrary

OTHER WORDS FROM contrary

Words nearby contrary

Words related to contrary

How to use contrary in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for contrary

Derived forms of contrary

Word Origin for contrary

Other Idioms and Phrases with contrary