to the contrary
trɛr 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.”
00:10
To the contrary
is always a great word to know.
So is quincunx. Does it mean:
| an arrangement of five objects, as trees, in a square or rectangle, one at each corner and one in the middle. |
| the offspring of a zebra and a donkey. |
adverb
Idioms 9.
in opposition; oppositely; counter: to act contrary to one's own principles.
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.
Related forms
con·trar·i·ness, noun
qua·si-con·trar·i·ly, adverb
qua·si-con·trar·y, adjective
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.
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.
4. favorable. 5. obliging, complaisant.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Collins
World English Dictionary
contrary (ˈkɒntrərɪ) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —adj | |
| 1. | opposed in nature, position, etc: contrary ideas |
| 2. | perverse; obstinate |
| 3. | (esp of wind) adverse; unfavourable |
| 4. | (of plant parts) situated at right angles to each other |
| 5. | logic subcontrary Compare contradictory (of a pair of propositions) related so that they cannot both be true at once, although they may both be false together |
| —n , -ries | |
| 6. | the exact opposite (esp in the phrase to the contrary) |
| 7. | on the contrary quite the reverse; not at all |
| 8. | either of two exactly opposite objects, facts, or qualities |
| 9. | logic a statement that cannot be true when a given statement is true |
| —adv | |
| 10. | in an opposite or unexpected way: contrary to usual belief |
| 11. | in conflict (with) or contravention (of): contrary to nature |
| [C14: from Latin contrārius opposite, from contrā against] | |
| con'trariness | |
| —n | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History
contrary
mid-14c., from Anglo-Fr. contrarie, from L. contrarius "opposite, opposed," from contra "against" (see contra).
"If we take the statement All men are mortal, its contrary is Not all men are mortal, its converse is All mortal beings are men, & its opposite is No men are mortal. The contrary, however, does not exclude the opposite, but includes it as its most extreme form. Thus This is white has only one opposite, This is black, but many contraries, as This is not white, This is coloured, This is dirty, This is black; & whether the last form is called the contrary, or more emphatically the opposite, is usually indifferent. But to apply the opposite to a mere contrary (e.g. to I did not hit him in relation to I hit him, which has no opposite), or to the converse (e.g. to He hit me in relation to I hit him, to which it is neither contrary nor opposite), is a looseness that may easily result in misunderstanding; the temptation to go wrong is intelligible when it is remembered that with certain types of sentence (A exceeds B) the converse & the opposite are identical (B exceeds A)." [Fowler]Related: Contrarily (mid-16c.).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Idioms & Phrases
to the contrary
To the opposite effect, in denial, as in No matter what they say to the contrary, I am positive that he was present. This idiom was first recorded in 1512. Also see on the contrary.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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