opposite

English

Alternative forms

• opposit

Etymology

From Latin oppositus, perfect passive participle of oppōnō (“I oppose”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA: /ˈɒpəzɪt/, X-SAMPA: /"Qp@zIt/
• (US) IPA: /ˈɑpəsɪt/, X-SAMPA: /"Ap@sIt/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Adjective

opposite (not comparable)

1. Located directly across from something else, or from each other.

   She saw him walking on the opposite side of the road.

2. Facing in the other direction.

   They were moving in opposite directions.

3. Of either of two complementary or mutually exclusive things.

   He has a lot of success with the opposite sex.

Derived terms

• opposite sex

Translations

located directly across from

• Arabic: ضد (ar) (Didd)
• Catalan: oposat (ca)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 對面的 (cmn), 对面的 (cmn) (duìmiàn de)

• Czech: druhý (cs) m, opačný (cs) m
• Danish: modsat (da)
• Dutch: tegenoverliggend, tegenovergesteld
• Finnish: vastapäinen (fi)
• French: opposé (fr)
• German: gegenüberliegend, andere
• Greek: απέναντι (el) (apénandi)
• Hebrew: ממול (he) (mimul)
• Hungarian: szembenlevő, túlsó
• Irish: urchomhaireach (ga)

• Italian: opposto (it)
• Japanese: 反対の (ja) (はんたいの, hantai-no), 逆くの (ja) (ぎゃくの, gyaku-no)
• Jèrriais: opposé
• Korean: 반대의 (bandae-ui)
• Norwegian: motsatt (no)
• Persian: ضد (fa)
• Polish: przeciwległy (pl) m
• Portuguese: oposto (pt)
• Romanian: opus (ro)
• Russian: противоположный (ru) (protivopolóžnyj)
• Spanish: opuesto (es)
• Swedish: motsatt (sv)
• Turkish: karşı (tr)
• Welsh: cyferbyn (cy)

facing the other way

• Czech: opačný (cs) m
• Finnish: vastakkainen (fi)
• German: entgegengesetzt
• Hebrew: ממול (he) (mimul)
• Hungarian: ellentétes (hu)

• Malayalam: എതിർ (ml) (ethir), വിപരീതം (ml) (viparitam)
• Norwegian: motsatt (no)
• Polish: przeciwny (pl) m
• Sanskrit: विपरीतम् (sa) (viparitam)
• Spanish: opuesto (es)
• Turkish: zıt (tr)

of complementary or mutually exclusive things

• Arabic: آخر (’āxar)
• Czech: opačný (cs) m
• Dutch: tegenovergestelde (nl)
• Finnish: vastakkainen (fi)
• Georgian: please add this translation if you can

• German: andere (de)
• Japanese: あべこべ (ja) (abekobe)
• Norwegian: motsatt (no)
• Polish: przeciwny (pl) m
• Spanish: opuesto (es)
• Turkish: karşı (tr)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.

Translations to be checked

• Dutch: tegengesteld

Noun

opposite (plural opposites)

1. Something opposite or contrary to another.
2. An opponent.
3. An antonym.

   "Up" is the opposite of "down".

4. (mathematics) An additive inverse.

Derived terms

• opposites attract

Translations

contrary thing

• Czech: protiklad (cs) m, opak (cs) m
• Dutch: tegenovergestelde n
• Finnish: vastakohta (fi)
• French: contraire (fr) m

• Japanese: あべこべ (ja) (abekobe)
• Polish: przeciwieństwo (pl) n, sprzeczność (pl) f
• Telugu: వ్యతిరేకం (vyatireakam)

opponent

• Dutch: tegenstander (nl) m
• Finnish: vastustaja (fi), vastaväittäjä (fi), opponentti (fi)
• French: adversaire (fr) m and f

• Polish: przeciwnik (pl) m, przeciwniczka (pl) f
• Telugu: వ్యతిరేకి (vyatireaki)

antonym

• Catalan: contrari (ca) m
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 相反 (cmn)

• Czech: opak (cs), protiklad (cs)
• Dutch: tegenovergestelde n
• Finnish: antonyymi (fi), vastakohta (fi)

• French: contraire (fr) m
• German: Gegenteil (de) n
• Hebrew: ממול (he) (mimul)
• Luxembourgish: Géigendeel (lb) m
• Polish: przeciwieństwo (pl) n
• Telugu: వ్యతిరేక పదం (vyatireaka padam)

Adverb

opposite

1. In an opposite position.

   I was on my seat and she stood opposite.

Translations

in an opposite position

• Dutch: tegenover (nl)
• Finnish: vastapäätä (fi)
• French: en face (fr)

• German: gegenüber (de)
• Japanese: あべこべ (abekobe)
• Polish: naprzeciwko (pl)

Preposition

opposite

1. Facing, or across from.

   He lives opposite the pub.

2. In a complementary role to.

   He played opposite Marilyn Monroe.

Translations

across from

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 對面 (cmn), 对面 (cmn) (duìmiàn)

• Czech: naproti (cs), proti (cs)
• Danish: over for (da)
• Dutch: tegenover (nl)
• Finnish: vastapäätä (fi)
• French: en face de (fr)
• German: gegenüber (de)

• Hindi: ... के सामने (hi) (... ke sāmne)
• Irish: ar aghaidh (ga)
• Japanese: ...の向かい側に (ja) (-no mukaigawa-ni)
• Persian: درمقابل (fa)
• Polish: naprzeciwko (pl)
• Russian: напротив (ru) (naprótiv)
• Scottish Gaelic: fa chomhair (gd)
• Urdu: ... کے سامنے (ur) (... ke sāmne)

in a complementary role to

• Finnish: genitive + vastanäyttelijänä

See also

• apposite

Statistics

• Most common English words before 1923: provided · Rome · twelve · #971: opposite · vast · isn't · board

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Latin

Adjective

opposite

1. vocative masculine singular of oppositus

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Middle French

Adjective

opposite m and f (plural opposites)

1. opposite (located directly across from something else, or from each other)

Noun

opposite f (plural opposites)

1. opposite side

References

• Godefroy, Frédéric, Dictionnaire de l'ancienne langue française et de tous ses dialectes du IX^e au XV^e siècle (1881)