On vs Against - What's the difference?
on | against |
In the state of being active, functioning or operating.
Performing according to schedule.
(UK, informal) Acceptable, appropriate.
(informal) Destined, normally in the context of a challenge being accepted; involved, doomed.
(baseball, informal) Having reached a base as a runner and being positioned there, awaiting further action from a subsequent batter.
To an operating state.
Along, forwards (continuing an action).
* {{quote-news
, year=2012
, date=May 5
, author=Phil McNulty
, title=Chelsea 2-1 Liverpool
, work=BBC Sport
, url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/17878435
, page=
, passage=He met Luis Suarez's cross at the far post, only for Chelsea keeper Petr Cech to show brilliant reflexes to deflect his header on to the bar. Carroll turned away to lead Liverpool's insistent protests that the ball had crossed the line but referee Phil Dowd and assistant referee Andrew Garratt waved play on , with even a succession of replays proving inconclusive.}}
In continuation, at length.
(cricket) In, or towards the half of the field on the same side as the batsman's legs; the left side for a right-handed batsman; leg.
(not US) Later.
Positioned at the upper surface of, touching from above.
* Longfellow
At or near; adjacent to.
Covering.
At the date of.
Some time during the day of.
Dealing with the subject of, about, or concerning something.
Touching; hanging from.
(informal) In the possession of.
Because of, or due to.
Immediately after.
Paid for by.
*
, 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.}}
Away or occupied with (e.g. a scheduled activity).
Denoting performance or action by contact with the surface, upper part, or outside of anything; hence, by means of; with.
(senseid) Regularly taking (a drug).
(senseid) Under the influence of (a drug).
(mathematics) Having identical domain and codomain.
(mathematics) Having as domain and V'' as codomain, for some set ''V'' and integer ''n .
(mathematics) Generated by.
Supported by (the specified part of itself).
At a given time after the start of something; .
* {{quote-news, year=2011, date=September 24, author=Aled Williams, work=BBC Sport
, title=[http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/eng_prem/14957961.stm Chelsea 4-1 Swansea]
, passage=The Spain striker had given Chelsea the lead on 29 minutes but was shown a straight red card 10 minutes later for a rash challenge on Mark Gower.}}
In addition to; besides; indicating multiplication or succession in a series.
(obsolete) of
* Shakespeare
* Shakespeare
Indicating dependence or reliance; with confidence in.
Toward; for; indicating the object of an emotion.
(obsolete) At the peril of, or for the safety of.
* Dryden
In the service of; connected with; of the number of.
By virtue of; with the pledge of.
To the account of; denoting imprecation or invocation, or coming to, falling, or resting upon.
* Bible, Matthew xxvii. 25
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=
, 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= #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=
, title= 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
, 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.
(obsolete) By the time that (something happened); before.
* , II.ix:
* 1749 , Henry Fielding, Tom Jones , Folio Society 1973, p. 6:
In opposition to something.
(gambling) Having a specified likelihood of not winning or happening.
In obsolete terms the difference between on and against
is that on is at the peril of, or for the safety of while against is by the time that (something happened); before.As adverbs the difference between on and against
is that on is to an operating state while against is in opposition to something.As prepositions the difference between on and against
is that on is positioned at the upper surface of, touching from above while against is A close but separated relationship.As an adjective on
is in the state of being active, functioning or operating.As a verb on
is to switch on.As an abbreviation ON
is ontario, a province of Canada.As a conjunction against is
by the time that (something happened); before.on
English
Etymology 1
From (etyl) (m), from (etyl) (m), , see (m).Adjective
(-)- Are we still on for tonight?
- Is the show still on ?
- right on'''''; ''bang '''on'''''; ''not '''on
- "Five bucks says the Cavs win tonight." ?"You're on !"
- Mike just threw coffee onto Paul's lap. It's on now.
Synonyms
* base (not informal)Adverb
(-)- turn the television on
- drive on''', rock '''on
- and so on .
- He rambled on''' and '''on .
- Ten years on nothing had changed in the village.
Antonyms
* off * (to an operating state) off * (later) after, afterward/afterwards, later, subsequently, thencePreposition
(English prepositions)- I stood on the bridge at midnight.
- Soon we'll pass a statue on the left.
- The fleet is on the American coast.
- to play on a violin or piano
- Her words made a lasting impression on my mind.
- a function on V
- an operator on V
- heaps on heaps of food
- mischief on''' mischief; loss '''on loss
- (Shakespeare)
- Be not jealous on me.
- Or have we eaten on the insane root / That takes the reason prisoner?
- I depended on them for assistance.
- He will promise on certain conditions.
- Do you ever bet on horses?
- Have pity or compassion on him.
- Hence, on thy life.
- He is on''' a newspaper; I am '''on the committee.
- He affirmed or promised on''' his word, or '''on his honour.
- On us be all the blame.
- A curse on him!
- His blood be on' us and ' on our children.
Derived terms
* depend on * on-campus * put on airs *Synonyms
*Etymology 2
From (etyl) .Alternative forms
* (l)Usage notes
* Usually followed by a perfect participle, as being'', ''having , etc.Statistics
*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)“Piracy”: A Romantic Chronicle of These Days, chapter=3/19/2
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.}}
David Van Tassel], [http://www.americanscientist.org/authors/detail/lee-dehaan Lee DeHaan
Wild Plants to the Rescue, volume=101, issue=3, magazine=(American Scientist), passage=Plant breeding is always a numbers game.
citation
Synonyms
* (in competition with) versusAntonyms
* for * withConjunction
(head)- 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.
- 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.
