oppugnern.

1535 G. Browne To Ld. Privy Seal (modernized text) in R. Ware Hist. Coll. Church Irel. (1681) 2 Your humble Servant..do find much oppugning therein, especially by my Brother Armagh, who hath been the main oppugner.

1559 J. Knox Let. 6 Apr. in Wks. (1864) 15 The veritie which I affirme is invincible and shall triumphe to the confusion of all oppugners.

1599 E. Sandys Europæ Speculum (1632) 218 The Græcians are..perpetuall oppugners of the Papall right and authority.

a1614 J. Melville Autobiogr. & Diary (1842) 588 He bringis in the oppugneris objectiounes and answeris to them.

1641 Earl of Monmouth tr. G. F. Biondi Hist. Civil Warres Eng. I. v. 161 Whilest the oppugners and defendors were in their chiefest heate, the Lord Talbot came thither with the Lord Scales and 1800 Souldiers.

1691 A. Wood Athenæ Oxonienses I. 103 He [sc. T. Robertson] was a great Oppugner and Vilifier of the Questionists in the University.

1737 London Mag. Mar. 143/1 Whether these Passages import that all Oppugners of the Christian Doctrine were to be rejected without Distinction.

1791 J. Bentham Panopticon 130 [They would] find more advocates among the patrons, than among the oppugners, of that measure.

1853 C. Merivale Fall Rom. Republic i. 10 The tribuneship..afforded..a ground of vantage to the oppugners of rank and authority.

1885 Dict. National Biogr. s.v. Balfour, Robert He attracted much attention by the ability with which he publicly maintained certain philosophical theses against all oppugners.

1987 Washington Post (Nexis) 14 Nov. (Editorial section) a27 The Evans crowd sees subversion, London sees manipulation and fakery. Both oppugners need an optician for new lenses.