contrary

¹con·trary

noun \ˈkän-ˌtrer-ē, -ˌtre-rē\

plural con·trar·ies

Definition of CONTRARY

1

: a fact or condition incompatible with another : opposite —usually used with the

2

: one of a pair of opposites

3

a : a proposition so related to another that though both may be false they cannot both be true — compare subcontrary b : either of two terms (as good and evil) that cannot both be affirmed of the same subject

— by contraries

obsolete : in a manner opposite to what is logical or expected

— on the contrary

: just the opposite

— to the contrary

1

: on the contrary

2

: notwithstanding

Examples of CONTRARY

1. <the admonition that we should not return hate with hate, but rather with its contrary—love>
2. As kiss-and-tell books go, “Opening Arguments” by Jeffrey Toobin has few, if any, deep and sensuous secrets to reveal—this despite many news stories to the —contrary. —Nina Totenberg, New York Times Book Review, March 31, 1991
3. He was not, despite the mythology he and his press agents so assiduously manufactured, a risk taker. On the contrary, he was more often timid to the point of fecklessness. —Christopher Buckley, New York Times Book Review, 4 Nov. 1990
4. Other men—a surprising number of them—do not feel anger or blame. On the contrary, they feel a strong blood tie to their fathers, and to them the discipline was a minor thing. —Robert Bly, Iron John, 1990
5. “Is this the girl who has moved into Villa Villekulla?” asked one of the policemen. “Quite the contrary,” said Pippi. “This is a tiny little auntie who lives on the third floor at the other end of the town.” —Astrid Lindgren, Pippi Longstocking, (1950) 1978

Origin of CONTRARY

Middle English contrarie, from Anglo-French contraire, contrairie, from Medieval Latin contrarius, from Latin, adjective, opposite, adverse, from contra opposite

First Known Use: 13th century

Related to CONTRARY

Synonyms: antipode, antithesis, opposite, counter, negative, obverse, reverse

Related Words: negation; antonym; counterpoint; converse, inverse, mirror image

Near Antonyms: synonym; analogue (or analog), counterpart; carbon copy, copy, duplicate, replica

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Rhymes with CONTRARY

baneberry, barberry, bayberry, bearberry, bilberry, blackberry, black cherry, blaeberry, blueberry, Bradbury, bunchberry, Burberry, canary, chokeberry, chokecherry, cloudberry, costmary, cowberry, cranberry, crowberry, deerberry, equerry, gooseberry, ground-cherry, hackberry, Hail Mary, inkberry, Juneberry, knobkerrie, library, mulberry, nondairy, pokeberry, primary, raspberry, rosemary, scalare, shadberry, snowberry, soapberry, strawberry, summary, sweet cherry, teaberry, tilbury, tooth fairy, twinberry, unwary, vagary, wheat berry, wolfberry, youngberry