noun
- A relation of direct opposition.
- usage: "we thought Sue was older than Bill but just the reverse was true"
- Exact opposition.
- usage: "public opinion to the contrary he is not guilty"
- A logical relation such that two propositions are contraries if both cannot be true but both can be false.
adjective
- Very opposed in nature or character or purpose.
- usage: "acts contrary to our code of ethics"; "the facts point to a contrary conclusion"
- Of words or propositions so related that both cannot be true but both may be false.
- usage: "`hot' and `cold' are contrary terms"
- Resistant to guidance or discipline.
- usage: "Mary Mary quite contrary"; "an obstinate child with a violent temper"; "a perverse mood"; "wayward behavior"
- In an opposing direction.
- usage: "adverse currents"; "a contrary wind"
- synonyms: adverse
WordNet 3.0 © 2006 by Princeton University
| APA | WordNet. (2010). contrary. Retrieved September 20, 2026, from http://smartdefine.org/contrary/definitions/1171366 |
| Chicago | WordNet. 2010. "contrary" http://smartdefine.org/contrary/definitions/1171366 (accessed September 20, 2026). |
| Harvard | WordNet 2010, contrary, Smart Define, viewed 20 September, 2026, <http://smartdefine.org/contrary/definitions/1171366>. |
| MLA | WordNet. "contrary" 23 October 2010. Web. 20 September 2026. <http://smartdefine.org/contrary/definitions/1171366> |