contrary

English

Etymology

From Middle English contrarie, also contraire, from Old French contraire, from Latin contrarius (“opposite, opposed, contrary”), from contra (“against”).

Pronunciation

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• IPA: /ˈkʌnˌtɹæɹi/

Adjective

contrary (comparative more contrary, superlative most contrary)

1. opposed in nature
2. strongly dissimilar

Derived terms

• contrarian
• contrarily
• contrariwise
• contrary to

Translations

opposed in nature

Bulgarian: обратен (bg), противоположен (bg) Finnish: vastakkainen (fi), päinvastainen (fi) Irish: contrártha (ga)

Italian: contrario (it), opposto (it) Kannada: ಮಾರು (kn) (māru) Romanian: contrar (ro) m. and n., opus (ro) m. and n.

strongly dissimilar

Romanian: contrar (ro)

Adverb

contrary (comparative more contrary, superlative most contrary)

1. Contrarily

Noun

contrary (plural contraries)

1. The opposite.
2. One of a pair of propositions that cannot both be simultaneously true.

Derived terms

• on the contrary
• to the contrary

Verb

contrary (third-person singular simple present contraries, present participle contrarying, simple past and past participle contraried)

1. (obsolete) To oppose; to frustrate.
   • 1603, John Florio, trans. Michel de Montaigne, Essays, I.47:

     The Athenians having left the enemie in their owne land, for to pass into Sicilie, had very ill successe, and were much contraried by fortune [...].

2. (obsolete) To impugn.
3. (obsolete) To contradict (someone or something).
   • 1485, Thomas Malory, Le Morte Darthur, Book X:

     ‘Madame,’ seyde Sir Palomydes, ‘ye may say what ye woll – I may nat contrary you – but, by my knyghthod, I knew nat my lorde Sir Trystram.’

4. (obsolete) To do the opposite of (someone or something).
5. (obsolete) To act inconsistently or perversely; to act in opposition to.
6. (obsolete) To argue; to debate; to uphold an opposite opinion.
7. (obsolete) To be self-contradictory; to become reversed.

Related terms

• contra
• counter

References

• contrary in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
• contrary in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911
• contrary at OneLook Dictionary Search
• Oxford English Dictionary, Second Edition, 1989