contre

See also: contré and contre-

French

Etymology

From Middle French contre, from Old French contre, from Latin contra.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kɔ̃tʁ/

• audio:

  (file)

Preposition

contre

1. against (in physical contact with)

   La paille est contre la maison

   the straw is against the house

   Elle s'appuie contre le mur.

   She's pushing against the wall.

2. against (not in favor of)

   Les citoyens sont pour, mais les hommes politiques sont contre.

   The citizens are for, but the politicians are against.

3. against (having as an opponent)

   Ce soir: Lille contre Marseille en direct.

   Tonight: Lille against Marseille live.

4. as against (as opposed to, compared to, in contrast with)
5. in exchange for

   10% des hommes ont eu plus de cent partenaires sexuels, contre 5% seulement des femmes.

   10 percent of all men have had more than a hundred sexual partners, as against 5 percent of all women.

Derived terms

• contrer

Verb

contre

1. first-person singular present indicative of contrer
2. third-person singular present indicative of contrer
3. first-person singular present subjunctive of contrer
4. third-person singular present subjunctive of contrer
5. second-person singular imperative of contrer

Noun

contre m (plural contres)

1. (bridge) double

Further reading

• “contre”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Anagrams

• conter
• cornet

---

Middle English

Alternative forms

• contrey, contree, cuntrei, contrey, contray, cuntray, contreie, cuntre, contraye, contreye

Etymology

Borrowed from Old French contree, from Vulgar Latin *(terra) contrata.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kuntˈreː(ə)/, /kuntˈrɛi̯/

Noun

contre (plural contrees)

1. region, area
2. A political division, including:
   1. On a national level: a nation, country, land, or territory
   2. On a regional level: a district, state, or province
   3. On a local level: city, town, settlement, or parish
3. homeland, fatherland
4. country, countryside (as opposed to the city)
5. The people of a region, country, or province; the local people.

Descendants

• English: country
• Scots: kintra

References

• “cǒntrẹ̄(e (n.)”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2018-04-10.

---

Middle French

Etymology

From Old French contre.

Preposition

contre

1. against; opposing

Descendants

• French: contre

---

Old French

Alternative forms

• cuntre (Northern, Anglo-Norman or early Old French)
• countre (late Anglo-Norman)

Etymology

From Latin contra.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈkon.trə/

Preposition

contre

1. against

Adverb

contre

1. against

Descendants

• Middle French: contre
  • French: contre

Anagrams

• conter