What's the difference between
and
Enter two words to compare and contrast their definitions, origins, and synonyms to better understand how those words are related.

What is the difference between against and for?

against | for | Antonyms |

For is a antonym of against.



In obsolete terms the difference between against and for

is that against is by the time that (something happened); before while for is indicating that in prevention of which, or through fear of which, anything is done.

As an adverb against

is in opposition to something.

As an initialism FOR is

field Of Research.

against

English

Alternative forms

* againest (obsolete), agaynst (obsolete), agaynest (obsolete) * agenst (obsolete), agenest (obsolete), ageinst (obsolete), ageinest (qualifier), ageynst (obsolete), ageynest (qualifier), agin (colloquial or humorous)

Preposition

(English prepositions)
  • A close but separated relationship.
  • #In a contrary direction to.
  • #:
  • #Close to.(rfex)
  • #:
  • #*
  • , title=(The Celebrity), chapter=5 , passage=We expressed our readiness, and in ten minutes were in the station wagon, rolling rapidly down the long drive, for it was then after nine.
  • #In front of; before a background.
  • #:
  • #In physical contact with.
  • #:
  • #In physical opposition to, or in collision with.
  • #:
  • #*{{quote-book, year=1922, author=(Michael Arlen), title= “Piracy”: A Romantic Chronicle of These Days, chapter=3/19/2
  • , passage=Ivor had acquired more than a mile of fishing rights with the house?; he was not at all a good fisherman, but one must do something?; one generally, however, banged a ball with a squash-racket against a wall.}}
  • A contrasting or competitive relationship.
  • #In contrast and/or comparison with.
  • #:
  • #In competition with, versus.
  • #:
  • #*
  • #*:“[…] it is not fair of you to bring against mankind double weapons ! Dangerous enough you are as woman alone, without bringing to your aid those gifts of mind suited to problems which men have been accustomed to arrogate to themselves.”
  • #*{{quote-news, year=2011, date=September 24, author=Aled Williams, work=BBC Sport
  • , title= Chelsea 4-1 Swansea , passage=The breakthrough came through Torres who, pilloried for his miss against Manchester United a week earlier, scored his second goal of the season.}}
  • #In opposition to.
  • #:
  • #*
  • , title=(The Celebrity), chapter=4 , passage=Mr. Cooke at once began a tirade against the residents of Asquith for permitting a sandy and generally disgraceful condition of the roads. So roundly did he vituperate the inn management in particular, and with such a loud flow of words, that I trembled lest he should be heard on the veranda.}}
  • #*{{quote-magazine, year=2013, month=May-June, author= David Van Tassel], [http://www.americanscientist.org/authors/detail/lee-dehaan Lee DeHaan
  • , title= Wild Plants to the Rescue, volume=101, issue=3, magazine=(American Scientist), passage=Plant breeding is always a numbers game.
  • In exchange for.(rfex)
  • As counterbalance to.(rfex)
  • As a charge on.(rfex)
  • As protection from.
  • :
  • *{{quote-journal, year=1988, date=March 1, author=Caroni, Pico, coauthors=Schwab, Martin E. , title=Antibody against myelin associated inhibitor of neurite growth neutralizes nonpermissive substrate properties of CNS white matter, journal=Neuron citation
  • , passage=Monoclonal antibodies were raised against these proteins: IN-1 and IN-2 bound both to the 35 kd and 250 kd inhibitors and to the surface of differentiated cultured oligodendrocytes.}}
  • (lb) Exposed to.(rfex)
  • In anticipation of; in preparation for (a particular time, event etc.).
  • *, II.11:
  • *:He wrote to a friend of his, that he lived but with browne bread and water, and entreated him to send him a piece of cheese, against the time he was to make a solemne feast.
  • Synonyms

    * (in competition with) versus

    Antonyms

    * for * with

    Conjunction

    (head)
  • (obsolete) By the time that (something happened); before.
  • * , II.ix:
  • Thence she them brought into a stately Hall, / Wherein were many tables faire dispred, / And ready dight with drapets festiuall, / Against the viaundes should be ministred.
  • * 1749 , Henry Fielding, Tom Jones , Folio Society 1973, p. 6:
  • He now gave Mrs Deborah positive orders to take the child to her own bed, and to call up a maid-servant to provide it pap, and other things, against it waked.

    Adverb

    (en adverb)
  • In opposition to something.
  • (gambling) Having a specified likelihood of not winning or happening.
  • Statistics

    *

    for

    English

    (wikipedia for)

    Conjunction

    (English Conjunctions)
  • Because.
  • * 1900 , , (The Wonderful Wizard of Oz) , Chapter 23
  • "By means of the Golden Cap I shall command the Winged Monkeys to carry you to the gates of the Emerald City," said Glinda, "for it would be a shame to deprive the people of so wonderful a ruler."

    Preposition

    (English prepositions)
  • Towards.
  • The astronauts headed for the moon.
  • Directed at, intended to belong to.
  • I have something for you.
  • Supporting (opposite of against ).
  • All those for the motion raise your hands.
  • Because of.
  • He wouldn't apologize; and just for that, she refused to help him.
    (UK usage) He looks better for having lost weight.
    She was the worse for drink.
  • * Shakespeare
  • with fiery eyes sparkling for very wrath
  • Over a period of time.
  • They fought for days over a silly pencil.
  • * Garth
  • To guide the sun's bright chariot for a day.
  • Throughout an extent of space.
  • * Shakespeare
  • For many miles about / There's scarce a bush.
  • On behalf of.
  • I will stand in for him.
  • Instead of, or in place of.
  • * Bible, Exodus xxi. 23, 24
  • And if any mischief follow, then thou shalt give life for' life, eye '''for''' eye, tooth '''for''' tooth, hand '''for''' hand, foot ' for foot.
  • In order to obtain or acquire.
  • I am aiming for completion by the end of business Thursday.
    He's going for his doctorate.
    Do you want to go for coffee?
    People all over Greece looked to Delphi for answers.
    Can you go to the store for some eggs?
    I'm saving up for a car.
    Don't wait for an answer.
    What did he ask you for ?
  • * Denham
  • He writes not for' money, nor ' for praise.
  • In the direction of:
  • Run for the hills!
    He was headed for the door when he remembered.
  • * Francis Bacon
  • We sailed from Peru for China and Japan.
  • By the standards of, usually with the implication of those standards being lower than one might otherwise expect.
  • Fair for its day.
    She's spry for an old lady.
  • Despite, in spite of.
  • * 1892 August 6, , "The Unbidden Guest", in All the Year Round , ] [http://books.google.com/books?id=XNwRAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA133&dq=%22but+for%22 page 133,
  • Mr. Joseph Blenkinshaw was perhaps not worth quite so much as was reported; but for all that he was a very wealthy man
  • * 1968 , J. J. Scarisbrick, Henry VIII (page 240)
  • For all his faults, there had been something lofty and great about him - as a judge, as a patron of education, as a builder, as an international figure.
  • For that to happen now is incredibly unlikely.'' (=''It is incredibly unlikely that that will happen now. )
    All I want is for you to be happy.'' (=''All I want is that you be happy. )
  • (chiefly, US) Out of;
  • (cricket) (used as part of a score to indicate the number of wickets that have fallen)
  • Indicating that in the character of or as being which anything is regarded or treated; to be, or as being.
  • * Cowley
  • We take a falling meteor for a star.
  • * John Locke
  • If a man can be fully assured of anything for' a truth, without having examined, what is there that he may not embrace ' for true?
  • * Dryden
  • Most of our ingenious young men take up some cry'd-up English poet for their model.
  • * Philips
  • But let her go for an ungrateful woman.
  • See the entry for the phrasal verb.
  • (obsolete) Indicating that in prevention of which, or through fear of which, anything is done.
  • * Beaumont and Fletcher
  • We'll have a bib, for spoiling of thy doublet.

    Antonyms

    * against

    Derived terms

    * for good * for good and all * for good measure * for it * for kicks * for real * for the record * once and for all

    Statistics

    *

    References

    * Andrea Tyler and Vyvyan Evans, "Spatial particles of orientation", in The Semantics of English Prepositions: Spatial Scenes, Embodied Meaning and Cognition , Cambridge University Press, 2003, 0-521-81430 8