contrary
Americanadjective
-
opposite in nature or character; diametrically or mutually opposed.
contrary to fact; contrary propositions.
- Synonyms:
- counter, conflicting, contradictory
-
opposite in direction or position.
departures in contrary directions.
-
being the opposite one of two.
I will make the contrary choice.
-
unfavorable or adverse.
- Synonyms:
- hostile, unfriendly, unfriendly
- Antonyms:
- favorable
-
perverse; stubbornly opposed or willful.
- Synonyms:
- pigheaded, stubborn, headstrong, obstinate, intractable
- Antonyms:
- complaisant, obliging
noun
plural
contraries-
something that is contrary or opposite.
to prove the contrary of a statement.
-
either of two contrary things.
-
Logic. a proposition so related to another proposition that both may not be true though both may be false, as with the propositions “All judges are male” and “No judges are male.”
adverb
idioms
-
by contraries, contrary to expectation.
-
on the contrary,
-
in opposition to what has been stated.
-
from another point of view.
On the contrary, there may be some who would agree with you.
-
-
to the contrary,
-
to the opposite effect.
I believe he is innocent, whatever they may say to the contrary.
-
to a different effect.
-
adjective
-
opposed in nature, position, etc
contrary ideas
-
perverse; obstinate
-
(esp of wind) adverse; unfavourable
-
(of plant parts) situated at right angles to each other
-
logic (of a pair of propositions) related so that they cannot both be true at once, although they may both be false together Compare subcontrary contradictory
noun
-
the exact opposite (esp in the phrase to the contrary )
-
quite the reverse; not at all
-
either of two exactly opposite objects, facts, or qualities
-
logic a statement that cannot be true when a given statement is true
adverb
-
in an opposite or unexpected way
contrary to usual belief
-
in conflict (with) or contravention (of)
contrary to nature
Related Words
See opposite. Contrary, adverse both describe something that opposes. Contrary conveys an idea of something impersonal and objective whose opposition happens to be unfavorable: contrary winds. Adverse suggests something more personally unfriendly or even hostile; it emphasizes the idea of the resulting misfortune to that which is opposed: The judge rendered a decision adverse to the defendant.
Other Word Forms
- contrarily adverb
- contrariness noun
- quasi-contrarily adverb
- quasi-contrary adjective
Etymology
Origin of contrary
First recorded in 1200–50; Middle English contrarie, from Anglo-French, from Latin contrārius; equivalent to contra 1 + -ary
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.
The reality of keeping Black men, women, and children enslaved was unjust, a violation of human rights, and contrary to “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness,” the founding ideals of the United States.
From Literature
Despite all evidence to the contrary — there’s a fair amount of it — B.J. is certain that the crowd has come to see him.
From Los Angeles Times
But contrary to popular belief, you don’t need onions to enjoy a really good meal.
From Salon
“On the contrary, it could make matters worse.”
Among the cuts are the elimination of practical exams, use of force and legal training courses, and an overall reduction in training time, contrary to an official’s testimony to Congress earlier this month.
From Los Angeles Times
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.
