Oppose vs Contrary - What's the difference?
oppose | contrary |
To attempt to stop the progression of; to resist or antagonize by physical means, or by arguments, etc.; to contend against; to confront; to resist; to withstand.
To object to.
To present or set up in opposition; to pose.
* John Locke
* 1839 , Philip Meadows Taylor, Confessions of a Thug
To place in front of, or over against; to set opposite; to exhibit.
* Shakespeare
To compete with; to strive against.
* Shakespeare
Opposite; in an opposite direction; in opposition; adverse.
* Bible, Leviticus xxvi. 21
* Shakespeare
Opposed; contradictory; inconsistent.
* Whewell
Given to opposition; perverse; wayward.
The opposite.
* Shakespeare
One of a pair of propositions that cannot both be simultaneously true.
* I. Watts
(obsolete) To oppose; to frustrate.
*Bishop Latimer
*:I was advised not to contrary the king.
*, I.47:
*:The Athenians having left the enemie in their owne land, for to pass into Sicilie , had very ill successe, and were much contraried by fortune.
(obsolete) To impugn.
(obsolete) To contradict (someone or something).
*:
*:thus wilfully sir Palomydes dyd bataille with yow / & as for hym sir I was not gretely aferd but I dred fore la?celot 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
*, II.12:
*:I finde them everie one in his turne to have reason, although they contrary one another.
(obsolete) To do the opposite of (someone'' or ''something ).
(obsolete) To act inconsistently or perversely; to act in opposition to .
(obsolete) To argue; to debate; to uphold an opposite opinion.
(obsolete) To be self-contradictory; to become reversed.
As verbs the difference between oppose and contrary
is that oppose is to attempt to stop the progression of; to resist or antagonize by physical means, or by arguments, etc.; to contend against; to confront; to resist; to withstand while contrary is to oppose; to frustrate.As an adjective contrary is
opposite; in an opposite direction; in opposition; adverse.As an adverb contrary is
contrarily.As a noun contrary is
the opposite.oppose
English
Verb
(oppos)- to oppose''' the king in battle; to '''oppose a bill in Congress
- There is still time to oppose this plan.
- Many religious leaders oppose cloning humans.
- They are opposed to any form of hierarchy.
- I may oppose my single opinion to his.
- [T]hree walls had been left standing, with large intervals between each; and they would certainly oppose a most formidable interruption to an invader.
- Her grace sat down / In a rich chair of state; opposing freely / The beauty of her person to the people.
- to oppose a rival for a prize
- I am too weak / To oppose your cunning.
Synonyms
*Antonyms
* supportExternal links
* * ----contrary
English
Adjective
(en adjective)- contrary winds
- And if ye walk contrary unto me, and will not hearken unto me
- We have lost our labour; they are gone a contrary way.
- The doctrine of the earth's motion appeared to be contrary to the sacred Scripture.
- a contrary''' disposition; a '''contrary child
Derived terms
* contrarian * contrarily * contrariwise * contrary toNoun
(contraries)- No contraries hold more antipathy / Than I and such a knave.
- 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.