Dictionary
Thesaurus
Encyclopedia
Translator
Web
Synonyms
Nearby Words

contrarinesses

 - 2 dictionary results

con⋅trar⋅y

  [kon-trer-ee; for 5 also kuhn-trair-ee] adjective, noun, plural -trar⋅ies, adverb
Use contrarinesses in a Sentence
–adjective
1. opposite in nature or character; diametrically or mutually opposed: contrary to fact; contrary propositions.
2. opposite in direction or position: departures in contrary directions.
3. being the opposite one of two: I will make the contrary choice.
4. unfavorable or adverse.
5. perverse; stubbornly opposed or willful.
–noun
6. something that is contrary or opposite: to prove the contrary of a statement.
7. either of two contrary things.
8. Logic. a proposition so related to another proposition that both may not be true though both may be false, as with the propositions “All judges are male” and “No judges are male.”
–adverb
9. in opposition; oppositely; counter: to act contrary to one's own principles.
—Idioms
10. by contraries, contrary to expectation.
11. on the contrary,
a. in opposition to what has been stated.
b. from another point of view: On the contrary, there may be some who would agree with you.
12. to the contrary,
a. to the opposite effect: I believe he is innocent, whatever they may say to the contrary.
b. to a different effect.
Origin:
1200–50; ME contrarie < AF < L contrārius. See contra-1 , -ary

Related forms:
con⋅trar⋅i⋅ly  [kon-trer-uh-lee, kuhn-trair-] , adverb
con⋅trar⋅i⋅ness, noun

Synonyms:
1. contradictory, conflicting, counter. See opposite. 4. unfriendly, hostile. Contrary, adverse both describe something that opposes. Contrary conveys an idea of something impersonal and objective whose opposition happens to be unfavorable: contrary winds. Adverse suggests something more personally unfriendly or even hostile; it emphasizes the idea of the resulting misfortune to that which is opposed: The judge rendered a decision adverse to the defendant. 5. intractable, obstinate, headstrong, stubborn, pig-headed.

Antonyms:
4. favorable. 5. obliging, complaisant.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To contrarinesses
Word Origin & History

contrary 
1340, from Anglo-Fr. contrarie, from L. contrarius "opposite, opposed," from contra "against." Contrary is often confused with converse and opposite. For the statement, "All men are mortal," the contrary is, "Not all men are mortal," the converse is, "All mortal beings are men," and the opposite is, "No men are mortal." The opposite is the most extreme form of the contrary.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
Search another word or see contrarinesses on Thesaurus | Reference
FacebookTwitterFollow us:
Partner Sites:
Ask AnswersEviteExpediaHotelsHotwireLife123LiveDailyMy Way