contrarian

American

[kuhn-trair-ee-uhn] / kənˈtrɛər i ən /

noun

a person who takes an opposing view, especially one who rejects the majority opinion, as in economic matters.

contrarian British

/ kənˈtrɛərɪən /

noun

1. a contrary or obstinate person
2. ( as modifier )
  
  a contrarian investor
  contrarian instincts

"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

Etymology

Origin of contrarian

contr(ary) + -arian

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:

contrarian

The Times section is where Weiss first made her name as anti-woke contrarian before she launched the like-minded digital news site the Free Press, which was acquired last year by CBS News parent Paramount.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026

As a contrarian to the widely held view that the Dodgers’ Andrew Friedman is some sort of baseball savant, I offer some data that suggests otherwise.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 18, 2026

Betting on deleted Dow stocks over new ones is a contrarian bet on regression to the mean.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 25, 2026

Extending his analysis to the broader market, he said there are too many “top callers” — in other words, people saying the market has peaked — which to his mind is a contrarian positive signal.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 24, 2026

“I hadn’t really thought about it, but I guess I was a contrarian too.”

From "The First Rule of Punk" by Celia C. Pérez

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023