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Opponent vs Adversarial - What's the difference?

opponent | adversarial |

As adjectives the difference between opponent and adversarial

is that opponent is situated in front; opposite; hence, opposing; adverse; antagonistic while adversarial is characteristic of, or in the manner of, an adversary; combative, hostile, opposed.

As a noun opponent

is an individual or group who is a rival of another.

opponent

English

Noun

(en noun)
  • An individual or group who is a rival of another.
  • One who attempts to stop the progression of.
  • One who objects to.
  • In team sports, a player of an opposite team.

    • Antonyms

    * supporter * proponent * advocate

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Situated in front; opposite; hence, opposing; adverse; antagonistic.
    • (Alexander Pope)
    ----

    adversarial

    English

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Characteristic of, or in the manner of, an adversary; combative, hostile, opposed
  • * {{quote-news, year=2012, date=November 7, author=Matt Bai, title=Winning a Second Term, Obama Will Confront Familiar Headwinds, work=New York Times citation
    • , passage=In polling by the Pew Research Center in November 2008, fully half the respondents thought the two parties would cooperate more in the coming year, versus only 36 percent who thought the climate would grow more adversarial . }}

    Antonyms

    * cooperative

    Derived terms

    * adversarial system * adversarially