What does "contrary" mean?
The opposite.
Contrary
/ˈkɑntɹɛɹi/ adj, adv, noun, verb
adj, adv, noun, verb ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The opposite.
- Grammar: contrary is listed as adj, adv, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: opposite, abjuratory, abnegative, academic dissent.
- Useful contrasts: cooperative, synergistic, unopposed.
- Usage evidence: And yet, the contrary is always true as well.
How to use "contrary"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "contrary" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "contrary" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "contrary" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "contrary" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "contrary" is acting as adj, adv, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "opposite" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "contrary", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The opposite.
"No contraries hold more antipathy Than I and such a knave."
- 2 a logical relation such that two propositions are contraries if both cannot be true but both can be false wordnet
- 3 One of a pair of propositions that cannot both be simultaneously true, though they may both be false.
"If two universals differ in quality, they are contraries; as, every vine is a tree; no vine is a tree. These can never be both true together; but they may be both false."
- 4 exact opposition wordnet
- 5 A type of loaded die. historical
Show 1 more definition
- 6 a relation of direct opposition wordnet
Verb
- 1 To oppose; to frustrate. obsolete
"You that be of the court, & eſpecially ye ſworn chaplains beware of a leſſon that a great man taught me at my firſt coming to the court he told me for a good will, he thoughte it wel. He ſayd vnto me. You muſt beware how ſo euer ye do that ye cõtrary not the king, let him haue his ſaiyngs, folow him, go with him. Mary out vpon this counſel, ſhal I ſay, as he ſayes?"
- 2 To impugn. obsolete
- 3 To contradict (someone or something). obsolete
"thus wilfully sir Palomydes dyd bataille with yow & as for hym sir I was not gretely aferd but I dred fore laūcelot that knew yow not Madame said Palomydes ye maye saye what so ye wyll I maye not contrary yow but by my knyghthode I knewe not sir Tristram"
- 4 To do the opposite of (someone or something). obsolete
- 5 To act inconsistently or perversely; to act in opposition to. obsolete
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 To argue; to debate; to uphold an opposite opinion. obsolete
- 7 To be self-contradictory; to become reversed. obsolete
Adjective
- 1 Opposite; in an opposite direction; in opposition; adverse.
"contrary winds"
- 2 Opposed; contradictory; inconsistent.
"Galileo [Galilei]'s zeal for his opinions soon led him again to bring the question under the notice of the Pope, and the result was a declaration of the Inquisition that the doctrine of the earth's motion appeared to be contrary to the sacred scripture."
- 3 Given to opposition; perverse; wayward.
"a contrary disposition; a contrary child"
Adjective
- 1 in an opposing direction wordnet
- 2 resistant to guidance or discipline wordnet
- 3 very opposed in nature or character or purpose wordnet
- 4 of words or propositions so related that both cannot be true but both may be false wordnet
Adverb
- 1 Contrarily
"I never act contrary to my principles."
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"And yet, the contrary is always true as well."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "contrary"?
Common synonyms include: opposite, abjuratory, abnegative, academic dissent, adversary, adversary.
How do you use "contrary" in a sentence?
And yet, the contrary is always true as well.
How do you pronounce "contrary"?
Pronounced /ˈkɑntɹɛɹi/.
Etymology
From Middle English contrarie, compare French contraire, from Old French contraire, from Latin contrārius (“opposite, opposed, contrary”), from contrā (“against”).