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

See Examples For:

on the contrary

Asked whether he expected the situation to improve, Blume said "on the contrary, we have to assume that risks will get worse, worldwide".

From Barron's ● Aug. 23, 2026

This climb, on the contrary, benefits from the attributes of individual students.

From Slate ● Jun. 24, 2026

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

From MarketWatch ● Jan. 31, 2026

She said that on the contrary, she spends lavishly on him, including partly paying for a Mercedes for his 19th birthday.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 5, 2025

But the question won’t let itself be pushed to the back of my mind today; on the contrary, all the fear I’ve ever felt is looming before me in all its horror.

From "The Diary of a Young Girl" by Anne Frank

Related Words

• individually
• negatively
• separately
• variously