on the contrary

American  

phrase

1. the opposite is true; not at all; by no means (often used as an interjection).

2. (used to introduce a statement contradictory or opposing to a previous one).

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on the contrary Idioms  

1. It's the opposite, as in Is his shoulder hurting?—On the contrary, it's all better, or We thought you didn't like opera.—On the contrary, I love it. This phrase, at first put as by or for or in the contrary, dates from the late 1300s; on has been used since the mid-1800s.

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Example Sentences

It is, on the contrary, a way of continuing their legacy and celebrating them.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 31, 2026

“It is not a great disproportion between ourselves and others which produces envy, but on the contrary, a proximity,” wrote David Hume, the 18th-century philosopher and economist.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 5, 2025

“However, our data indicate that the average compensation for in-person roles is, on the contrary, slightly lower than that for otherwise identical remote positions.”

From Salon • Feb. 27, 2025

In a statement to the BBC, the SBU said co-operating with Russian agents "will in no way ease the plight of the prisoner; on the contrary, it may significantly complicate their chances of being exchanged."

From BBC • Jan. 14, 2025

The water didn’t feel icy anymore either ... on the contrary, he felt pleasantly cool and very light.

From "Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire" by J. K. Rowling

Related Words

• individually
• negatively
• separately
• variously