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

contrarian, contrariety, contrarily, contrarious, contrariwise, contrary, contrary motion, contrasexual, contrast, contrast bath, contrast enema

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 forms

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

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 Forms

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

Idioms and Phrases with contrary

contrary

see on the contrary; to the contrary.

contrary

adjective

noun, plural con·trar·ies.

adverb

RELATED CONTENT

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Idioms

Origin of contrary

SYNONYMS FOR contrary

ANTONYMS FOR contrary

Related forms

Synonym study

Examples from the Web for contrary

British Dictionary definitions for contrary

contrary

adjective

noun plural -ries

adverb (usually foll by to)

Derived Forms

Word Origin for contrary

Idioms and Phrases with contrary

contrary