opponent
Americannoun
adjective
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being opposite, as in position.
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opposing; adverse; antagonistic.
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Anatomy. bringing parts together or into opposition, as a muscle.
noun
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a person who opposes another in a contest, battle, etc
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anatomy an opponent muscle
adjective
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opposite, as in position
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anatomy (of a muscle) bringing two parts into opposition
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opposing; contrary
Usage
What does opponent mean? An opponent is someone who is against another person, as in a game, exhibition, or controversy. Opponent can also sometimes be used to describe being in opposition, as in Felix saw no opponent reason to change his vote. Example: Our opponent is strong, so don’t do anything reckless during the game.
Synonym Usage
Opponent, competitor, rival refer to persons engaged in a contest. Opponent is the most impersonal, meaning merely one who opposes; perhaps one who continually blocks and frustrates or one who happens to be on the opposite side in a temporary contest: an opponent in a debate. Competitor emphasizes the action in striving against another, or others, for a definite, common goal: competitors in business. Rival has both personal and emotional connotations; it emphasizes the idea that (usually) two persons are struggling to attain the same object: rivals for an office.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of opponent
1580–90; < Latin oppōnent- (stem of oppōnēns, present participle of oppōnere to place over, against, or in front of, make an obstacle), equivalent to op- op- + pōn ( ere ) to place, set, put + -ent- -ent
Explanation
An opponent is your competition, whether it's a rival hockey team, or the other finalist in the chess tournament. Coaches tell you to never underestimate your opponent. Someone who competes or fights against you is your opponent. If you're arguing that chocolate ice cream is better than vanilla, the vanilla ice cream fan is your opponent. An opponent can also be someone who opposes, like an opponent of gun control laws. The Latin word opponent means setting against, and it was first used in English to describe the person who would begin a certain type of philosophical debate.
Vocabulary lists containing opponent
Vocabulary of the Summer Olympics
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Check It Out, Mate: Chess Vocabulary
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Excerpt from "The Philosophy of Literary Form" by Kenneth Burke
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
But as she weighs a third presidential bid, Harris stands to face a bigger and more formidable opponent: herself.
From Salon ● Jul. 27, 2026
TUSTIN: Lots of individual talent but can they get breakthrough win against a top opponent?
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 26, 2026
He will keep his head down until the last possible moment, forcing his opponent to stand and wait in the hopes of disrupting the pitcher’s timing.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
The Chelsea midfielder was not even looking at the ball when he flattened his opponent.
From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026
Zarra salutes her opponent, walks to our team huddle.
From "Black Brother, Black Brother" by Jewell Parker Rhodes
Until now Assembly Bill 2440 — which has made it most of the way through the legislative process — has enjoyed broad support, including from arts organizations, with no opponents emerging.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 2026
Vice President JD Vance told the mourners Graham was an affable, gregarious politician who would slap Senate colleagues on the back and had a passion for engaging opponents in "swashbuckling" debate.
From Barron's ● Jul. 28, 2026
Burnham's opponents are having to recalibrate and work through how they take on a new prime minister.
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
It’s his unparalleled ability to drive opponents thoroughly crazy by using the pitch clock as the ultimate weapon of annoyance.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
That kind of setup made for an interesting team dynamic, because it meant I had to look at my teammates as both my opponents and my lifelines.
From "Proud" by Ibtihaj Muhammad
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
