Adversative

//ədˈvɝsəˌtɪv// adj, noun

adj, noun ·Uncommon ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    Something, particularly a clause or conjunction, which is adversative. dated, rare
Adjective
  1. 1
    Expressing opposition or difference. not-comparable

    "In Matthew's Q-source, this short sentence may have been introduced by the strong adversative conjunction, "but" (alla)."

  2. 2
    Expressing adverse effect. not-comparable

    "In an adversative causative, the "causer" has only a nominal status and is, in actuality, a victim of the situation ..."

Adjective
  1. 1
    expressing antithesis or opposition wordnet

Synonyms

All synonyms
adversaryadversealienantagonisticantiantipathetic

Example

More examples

"In Matthew's Q-source, this short sentence may have been introduced by the strong adversative conjunction, "but" (alla)."

Etymology

From Latin adversativus (“of conjunctions, expressing opposition”).

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.