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Antonyms for contrary


Grammar : Adj
Spell : kon-trer-ee; for 5 also kuhn-trair-ee
Phonetic Transcription : ˈkɒn trɛr i; for 5 also kənˈtrɛər i



Definition of contrary

Origin :
  • mid-14c., from Anglo-French contrarie, from Latin contrarius "opposite, opposed," from contra "against" (see contra).
  • If we take the statement All men are mortal, its contrary is Not all men are mortal, its converse is All mortal beings are men, & its opposite is No men are mortal. The contrary, however, does not exclude the opposite, but includes it as its most extreme form. Thus This is white has only one opposite, This is black, but many contraries, as This is not white, This is coloured, This is dirty, This is black; & whether the last form is called the contrary, or more emphatically the opposite, is usually indifferent. But to apply the opposite to a mere contrary (e.g. to I did not hit him in relation to I hit him, which has no opposite), or to the converse (e.g. to He hit me in relation to I hit him, to which it is neither contrary nor opposite), is a looseness that may easily result in misunderstanding; the temptation to go wrong is intelligible when it is remembered that with certain types of sentence (A exceeds B) the converse & the opposite are identical (B exceeds A). [Fowler]
  • As a noun from late 13c. Related: Contrarily; contrariwise.
  • adj antagonistic; opposite
Example sentences :
  • On the contrary, indeed, he appeared to joy immensely in Percival's way of life.
  • Extract from : « The Spenders » by Harry Leon Wilson
  • You've had contrary winds so far, but you've borne up against them.
  • Extract from : « Brave and Bold » by Horatio Alger
  • On the contrary, gentlemen, I thought they were all looking at me.
  • Extract from : « Explorations in Australia » by John Forrest
  • We are, on the contrary, fumbling and wallowing about where the Greek pondered and philosophized.
  • Extract from : « 'Tis Sixty Years Since » by Charles Francis Adams
  • I believe this, on the contrary, the strongest Government on earth.
  • Extract from : « United States Presidents' Inaugural Speeches » by Various
  • But I hope you will convince as well them as me of the contrary.
  • Extract from : « Clarissa, Volume 1 (of 9) » by Samuel Richardson
  • On the contrary, he speedily inaugurated a new and brilliant era in finance.
  • Extract from : « The Grand Old Man » by Richard B. Cook
  • Mr. Bright, contrary to all expectation, became President of the Board of Trade.
  • Extract from : « The Grand Old Man » by Richard B. Cook
  • She freely acquaints him that he has nothing to expect from her contrary to her duty.
  • Extract from : « Clarissa, Volume 1 (of 9) » by Samuel Richardson
  • There, on the contrary, we encountered the only two swamps at all difficult.
  • Extract from : « Journal of an Expedition into the Interior of Tropical Australia » by Thomas Mitchell

Synonyms for contrary

Based on : Thesaurus.com - Gutenberg.org - Dictionary.com - Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019