contrary
English
Etymology
From Middle English contrarie, compare French contraire, from Old French contraire, from Latin contrarius (“opposite, opposed, contrary”), from contra (“against”).
Pronunciation
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Audio (US): (file) - Rhymes: -ɛəɹi (some pronunciations)
Adjective
contrary (comparative more contrary, superlative most contrary)
- Opposite; in an opposite direction; in opposition; adverse.
- contrary winds
- Bible, Leviticus xxvi. 21
- And if ye walk contrary unto me, and will not hearken unto me […]
- (Can we date this quote by Shakespeare and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)
- We have lost our labour; they are gone a contrary way.
- Opposed; contradictory; inconsistent.
- What may be "politically correct" could be contrary to the teachings of Jesus.
- (Can we date this quote by Whewell and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)
- The doctrine of the earth's motion appeared to be contrary to the sacred Scripture.
- Given to opposition; perverse; wayward.
- a contrary disposition; a contrary child
Derived terms
Derived terms
Translations
Opposite of wind
opposed in nature
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strongly dissimilar
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Adverb
contrary (comparative more contrary, superlative most contrary)
Noun
contrary (plural contraries)
- The opposite.
- (Can we date this quote by Shakespeare and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)
- No contraries hold more antipathy / Than I and such a knave.
- (Can we date this quote by Shakespeare and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)
- (logic) One of a pair of propositions that cannot both be simultaneously true, , though they may both be false.
- (Can we date this quote by I. Watts and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)
- If two universals differ in quality, they are contraries; as, every vine is a tree; no vine is a tree. These can never be both true together; but they may be both false.
- (Can we date this quote by I. Watts and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)
Synonyms
Derived terms
Related terms
- (logic): subcontrary
- contrarian
Translations
the opposite
Verb
contrary (third-person singular simple present contrar, present participle ies, simple past and past participle contraried)
- (obsolete) To oppose; to frustrate.
- (Can we date this quote by Bishop Latimer and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)
- I was advised not to contrary the king.
- Template:RQ:Florio Montaigne Essayes
- (Can we date this quote by Bishop Latimer and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)
- (obsolete) To impugn.
- (obsolete) To contradict (someone or something).
- 1485, Sir Thomas Malory, “lxxvij”, in Le Morte Darthur, book X::
- thus wilfully sir Palomydes dyd bataille with yow / & as for hym sir I was not gretely aferd but I dred fore laūcelot that knew yow not / Madame said Palomydes ye maye saye what so ye wyll / I maye not contrary yow but by my knyghthode I knewe not sir Tristram
- Template:RQ:Florio Montaigne Essayes
- (obsolete) To do the opposite of (someone or something).
- (obsolete) To act inconsistently or perversely; to act in opposition to.
- (obsolete) To argue; to debate; to uphold an opposite opinion.
- (obsolete) To be self-contradictory; to become reversed.
Translations
frustrating
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Related terms
References
- “contrary”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
- “contrary”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.
- “contrary”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.
- John A. Simpson and Edmund S. C. Weiner, editors (1989), “contrary”, in The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd edition, Oxford: Clarendon Press, →ISBN.
Categories:
- English terms inherited from Middle English
- English terms derived from Middle English
- English terms derived from Old French
- English terms derived from Latin
- English 3-syllable words
- English terms with IPA pronunciation
- English terms with audio links
- Rhymes:English/ɛəɹi
- English lemmas
- English adjectives
- English terms with usage examples
- Requests for date/Shakespeare
- Requests for date/Whewell
- English adverbs
- English nouns
- English countable nouns
- en:Logic
- Requests for date/I. Watts
- English verbs
- English terms with obsolete senses
- Requests for date/Bishop Latimer