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

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

But that doesn't mean Arctic permafrost is nothing to worry about -- on the contrary, the study clearly shows that the permafrost zone is very heterogenous.

From Science Daily • Jun. 3, 2024

The male, on the contrary, is a strong flier and is attracted even from considerable distances by a scent released by the female from special glands.

From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson

Related Words

• individually
• negatively
• separately
• variously