contrary
1 of 3noun
con·trary ˈkän-ˌtrer-ē 
-ˌtre-rē
plural contraries
1
: a fact or condition incompatible with another : opposite —usually used with the
2
: one of a pair of opposites
3
a
: a proposition (see proposition entry 1 sense 2a) so related to another that though both may be false they cannot both be true compare subcontrary
b
: either of two terms (such as good and evil) that cannot both be affirmed of the same subject
contrary
2 of 3adjective
con·trary ˈkän-ˌtrer-ē
-ˌtre-rē,
sense 4 often
kən-ˈtrer-ē 1
: being so different as to be at opposite extremes : opposite
come to the contrary conclusion
went off in contrary directions
also : being opposite to or in conflict with each other
contrary viewpoints
2
: being not in conformity with what is usual or expected
actions contrary to company policy
contrary evidence
3
: unfavorable —used of wind or weather
4
: temperamentally unwilling to accept control or advice
contrarily
ˈkän-ˌtrer-ə-lē
adverb kən-ˈtrer-
contrariness
ˈkän-ˌtrer-ē-nəs
noun kən-ˈtrer-
contrary
3 of 3adverb
con·trary ˈkän-ˌtrer-ē
-ˌtre-rē,
also kən-ˈtrer-ē
: contrariwise, contrarily
Synonyms
Noun
- antipode
- antithesis
- counter
- negative
- obverse
- opposite
- reverse
Adjective
- antipodal
- antipodean
- antithetical
- contradictory
- diametric
- diametrical
- opposite
- polar
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Noun As kiss-and-tell books go, "Opening Arguments" by Jeffrey Toobin has few, if any, deep and sensuous secrets to reveal—this despite many news stories to the contrary. 
Nina Totenberg, New York Times Book Review, March 31, 1991 He was not, despite the mythology he and his press agents so assiduously manufactured, a risk taker. On the contrary, he was more often timid to the point of fecklessness. Christopher Buckley, New York Times Book Review, 4 Nov. 1990 Other men—a surprising number of them—do not feel anger or blame. On the contrary, they feel a strong blood tie to their fathers, and to them the discipline was a minor thing. Robert Bly, Iron John, 1990 "Is this the girl who has moved into Villa Villekulla?" asked one of the policemen. "Quite the contrary," said Pippi. "This is a tiny little auntie who lives on the third floor at the other end of the town." Astrid Lindgren, Pippi Longstocking, (1950) 1978 the admonition that we should not return hate with hate, but rather with its contrary—love Adjective Kicking Wolf was a very contrary man—he did as he pleased. Larry McMurtry, Dead Man's Walk, 1995 At sunrise 4 January she set sail, and the homeward passage began. Two days later, Columbus sighted Pinta sailing in a contrary direction … Samuel Eliot Morison, The European Discovery of America, 1974 Mistress Mary got up from the log at once. She knew she felt contrary again, and obstinate, and she did not care at all. Frances Hodgson, The Secret Garden, 1911 The sisters gave contrary answers: one said “yes” and one said “no.” We had contrary opinions on the issue. Without contrary evidence, the jury will find her guilty. The boat sailed against a contrary wind. Contrary weather impeded the rescue efforts. See More
Nina Totenberg, New York Times Book Review, March 31, 1991 He was not, despite the mythology he and his press agents so assiduously manufactured, a risk taker. On the contrary, he was more often timid to the point of fecklessness. Christopher Buckley, New York Times Book Review, 4 Nov. 1990 Other men—a surprising number of them—do not feel anger or blame. On the contrary, they feel a strong blood tie to their fathers, and to them the discipline was a minor thing. Robert Bly, Iron John, 1990 "Is this the girl who has moved into Villa Villekulla?" asked one of the policemen. "Quite the contrary," said Pippi. "This is a tiny little auntie who lives on the third floor at the other end of the town." Astrid Lindgren, Pippi Longstocking, (1950) 1978 the admonition that we should not return hate with hate, but rather with its contrary—love Adjective Kicking Wolf was a very contrary man—he did as he pleased. Larry McMurtry, Dead Man's Walk, 1995 At sunrise 4 January she set sail, and the homeward passage began. Two days later, Columbus sighted Pinta sailing in a contrary direction … Samuel Eliot Morison, The European Discovery of America, 1974 Mistress Mary got up from the log at once. She knew she felt contrary again, and obstinate, and she did not care at all. Frances Hodgson, The Secret Garden, 1911 The sisters gave contrary answers: one said “yes” and one said “no.” We had contrary opinions on the issue. Without contrary evidence, the jury will find her guilty. The boat sailed against a contrary wind. Contrary weather impeded the rescue efforts. See More Recent Examples on the Web David Jackson, USA TODAY, 13 Sep. 2022 The announcement, which makes no mention of any other prevention tactics, doesn’t offer much reassurance to the contrary. Jacob Stern, The Atlantic, 9 Sep. 2022 Despite industry claims to the contrary, this kind of consolidation extracts a significant cost from employers, who provide health benefits to more than half of all Americans, and their workers. Elizabeth Mitchell And Mike Thompson, STAT, 1 Sep. 2022 Despite many rumors to the contrary, the design was virtually identical to the previous model. Jacob Siegal, BGR, 30 Aug. 2022 The Ohio Supreme Court ruled earlier this month that the Ohio Power Siting Board – despite claims to the contrary - had obtained enough information about the potential impacts of Icebreaker on birds and bats before issuing a permit for the project. Peter Krouse, cleveland, 28 Aug. 2022 Any statement to the contrary erases the identity and dignity of transgender people and goes against all advice given by professional health care associations who have far more expertise on this subject matter than either Jo or I. Whitney Perry, Glamour, 28 Aug. 2022 To the contrary, children become more aggressive and disruptive the more frequently they are subjected to physical punishment, according to the association. Michael Levenson, BostonGlobe.com, 27 Aug. 2022 To the contrary, some policymakers have indicated that even a recession would not dissuade them if inflation is not convincingly heading back to the Fed’s 2% target. Reuters, NBC News, 26 Aug. 2022 Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 29 Aug. 2022 In cases where federal and state law are in conflict with each other, the Constitution’s Supremacy Clause generally holds that the federal law preempts the contrary state law. Matt Ford, The New Republic, 3 Aug. 2022 It was driven by a very contrary woman, and Mike Tyson was in the passenger seat. Pat Myers, Washington Post, 14 July 2022 Applying contrary opinion, this suggests lower rates and higher note and bond prices. Bill Sarubbi, Forbes, 3 July 2022 On the contrary, much of this is domestic and almost all of this is legal. Robin Kaiser-schatzlein, The New Republic, 22 June 2021 Their testimony has often been presented in short edited clips rather than in their entirety, and no contrary testimony has been offered publicly. New York Times, 3 July 2022 In other words, the initial impulse to help Ukraine is running into a contrary impulse to limit the help, just as in past conflicts—Lebanon in 1983, Somalia in 1993-94 and Iraq as well as China, Afghanistan and Vietnam. Richard Bernstein, WSJ, 14 June 2022 The news comes after both Spears and Asghari expressed contrary sentiments regarding their status on a prenuptial agreement. Sabrina Park, Harper's BAZAAR, 13 June 2022 Michael Birnbaum, Washington Post, 21 June 2017 See More
Noun
Bolduc insists that Trump won the 2020 election over President Joe Biden, despite all evidence to the contrary. David Jackson, USA TODAY, 13 Sep. 2022 The announcement, which makes no mention of any other prevention tactics, doesn’t offer much reassurance to the contrary. Jacob Stern, The Atlantic, 9 Sep. 2022 Despite industry claims to the contrary, this kind of consolidation extracts a significant cost from employers, who provide health benefits to more than half of all Americans, and their workers. Elizabeth Mitchell And Mike Thompson, STAT, 1 Sep. 2022 Despite many rumors to the contrary, the design was virtually identical to the previous model. Jacob Siegal, BGR, 30 Aug. 2022 The Ohio Supreme Court ruled earlier this month that the Ohio Power Siting Board – despite claims to the contrary - had obtained enough information about the potential impacts of Icebreaker on birds and bats before issuing a permit for the project. Peter Krouse, cleveland, 28 Aug. 2022 Any statement to the contrary erases the identity and dignity of transgender people and goes against all advice given by professional health care associations who have far more expertise on this subject matter than either Jo or I. Whitney Perry, Glamour, 28 Aug. 2022 To the contrary, children become more aggressive and disruptive the more frequently they are subjected to physical punishment, according to the association. Michael Levenson, BostonGlobe.com, 27 Aug. 2022 To the contrary, some policymakers have indicated that even a recession would not dissuade them if inflation is not convincingly heading back to the Fed’s 2% target. Reuters, NBC News, 26 Aug. 2022 Adjective
The violins later introduce a contrary pattern that moves by chromatic steps. Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 29 Aug. 2022 In cases where federal and state law are in conflict with each other, the Constitution’s Supremacy Clause generally holds that the federal law preempts the contrary state law. Matt Ford, The New Republic, 3 Aug. 2022 It was driven by a very contrary woman, and Mike Tyson was in the passenger seat. Pat Myers, Washington Post, 14 July 2022 Applying contrary opinion, this suggests lower rates and higher note and bond prices. Bill Sarubbi, Forbes, 3 July 2022 On the contrary, much of this is domestic and almost all of this is legal. Robin Kaiser-schatzlein, The New Republic, 22 June 2021 Their testimony has often been presented in short edited clips rather than in their entirety, and no contrary testimony has been offered publicly. New York Times, 3 July 2022 In other words, the initial impulse to help Ukraine is running into a contrary impulse to limit the help, just as in past conflicts—Lebanon in 1983, Somalia in 1993-94 and Iraq as well as China, Afghanistan and Vietnam. Richard Bernstein, WSJ, 14 June 2022 The news comes after both Spears and Asghari expressed contrary sentiments regarding their status on a prenuptial agreement. Sabrina Park, Harper's BAZAAR, 13 June 2022 Adverb
The suspect was not wearing an explosives-laden belt, Van der Sypt said, contrary to an initial eyewitness account from a railway official. Michael Birnbaum, Washington Post, 21 June 2017 See More Word History
Etymology
Noun, Adjective, and Adverb
Middle English contrarie, from Anglo-French contraire, contrairie, from Medieval Latin contrarius, from Latin, adjective, opposite, adverse, from contra opposite
First Known Use
Noun
13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Adjective
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Adverb
15th century, in the meaning defined above
Phrases Containing contrary
Kids Definition
contrary 1 of 2
noun
con·trary ˈkän-ˌtrer-ē
plural contraries
: something opposite
… we never see the true state of our condition till it is illustrated to us by its contraries … Daniel Defoe, Robinson Crusoe
Daniel Defoe, Robinson Crusoecontrary
2 of 2adjective
con·trary
ˈkän-ˌtrer-ē,
4 is often kən-ˈtrer-ē
1
: exactly opposite
Their opinion is contrary to mine.
2
: being against what is usual or expected
Her actions are contrary to school policy.
3
: not favorable
contrary weather
4
: unwilling to accept control or advice
a contrary child
contrary 1 of 2
adjective
1
as in contradictory
being as different as possible the other jurors seemed sure the defendant was guilty, but I came to the contrary conclusion Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- contradictory
- opposite
- unfavorable
- antithetical
- diametrical
- negative
- unlike
- adverse
- diametric
- antipodal
- hostile
- polar
- antagonistic
- counter
- antipodean
- divergent
- converse
- reverse
- dissimilar
- obverse
- inverse
- cross
- antipathetic
- alien
- disparate
- unalike
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- similar
- analogous
- same
- like
- noncontradictory
- identical
- alike
- equivalent
- synonymous
2
as in mischievous
engaging in or marked by childish misbehavior a contrary child who wouldn't behave Synonyms & Similar Words
- mischievous
- bad
- naughty
- rude
- childish
- selfish
- rebellious
- improper
- errant
- froward
- wild
- defiant
- impudent
- wicked
- perverse
- disrespectful
- misbehaving
- insolent
- immature
- untoward
- disobedient
- wrongheaded
- indecorous
- impolite
- uncouth
- transgressing
- unmannerly
- obstreperous
- corrupt
- unkind
- evil
- wayward
- unruly
- juvenile
- waggish
- monkeying
- willful
- uncontrollable
- headstrong
- recalcitrant
- wilful
- intractable
- dissolute
- disorderly
- ruffianly
- roguish
- knavish
- ornery
- ill-natured
- ungovernable
- impish
- infantile
- prankish
- restive
- disobliging
- refractory
- mutinous
- thoughtless
- ill-mannered
- puerile
- inconsiderate
- balky
- arch
- rowdy
- elfish
- rascally
- unkindly
- jejune
- monkeyish
- insurgent
- babyish
- pixieish
- kiddish
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- correct
- proper
- complying
- moral
- orderly
- behaved
- nice
- obedient
- dutiful
- acquiescent
- divine
- compliant
- decent
- respectable
- submissive
- polite
- kindly
- behaving
- decorous
- courteous
- pleasant
- angelic
- modest
- considerate
- thoughtful
- heavenly
- clean
- mannerly
- amenable
- amiable
- docile
- cherubic
- complaisant
- angelical
- obliging
- tractable
- discreet
- mature
- good-natured
- adult
- governable
- grown-up
3
as in rebellious
given to resisting authority or another's control the contrary soldier is facing a court-martial for insubordination Synonyms & Similar Words
- rebellious
- rebel
- defiant
- stubborn
- adamant
- rigid
- willful
- untoward
- disobedient
- dogged
- mischievous
- obstreperous
- wayward
- bad
- contumacious
- unruly
- insubordinate
- naughty
- wilful
- froward
- dissident
- recalcitrant
- intractable
- wild
- incompliant
- ungovernable
- restive
- recusant
- rude
- refractory
- balky
- perverse
- unbending
- resistant
- unyielding
- unrelenting
- monkeying
- uncooperative
- negativistic
- uncompromising
- wrongheaded
- obstinate
- insurgent
- obdurate
- pertinacious
- inflexible
- uncontrollable
- immovable
- implacable
- mutinous
- mulish
- pigheaded
- peevish
- noncooperative
- disrespectful
- adamantine
- opinionated
- impertinent
- impudent
- headstrong
- disorderly
- unmanageable
- insolent
- hardheaded
- ungracious
- fractious
- errant
- impolite
- uncouth
- unmannerly
- inconsiderate
- nonconformist
- undisciplined
- uncivil
- self-willed
- discourteous
- ornery
- misbehaving
- monkeyish
- ill-natured
- ill-mannered
- ill-bred
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- conformable
- agreeable
- obedient
- amiable
- amenable
- docile
- obliging
- cooperative
- compliant
- deferential
- acquiescent
- submissive
- tractable
- behaved
- yielding
- biddable
- respectful
- polite
- proper
- subservient
- slavish
- courteous
- ruly
- obsequious
- disciplined
- orderly
- servile
- mannerly
- decorous
- controllable
- well-bred
- kowtowing
- trainable
- manageable
- governable
contrary
2 of 2noun
as in opposite
something that is as different as possible from something else the admonition that we should not return hate with hate, but rather with its contrary—love Synonyms & Similar Words
- opposite
- antithesis
- obverse
- counter
- reverse
- negative
- antipode
- negation
- converse
- counterpoint
- inverse
- antonym
- mirror image
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- counterpart
- synonym
- analog
- analogue
- duplicate
- copy
- replica
- carbon copy
Synonym Chooser
Some common synonyms of contrary are antithetical, contradictory, and opposite. While all these words mean "being so far apart as to be or seem irreconcilable," contrary implies extreme divergence or diametrical opposition.
contrary assessments of the war situation
While in some cases nearly identical to contrary, antithetical stresses clear and unequivocal diametrical opposition.
a law that is antithetical to the very idea of democracy
While the synonyms contradictory and contrary are close in meaning, contradictory applies to two things that completely negate each other so that if one is true or valid the other must be untrue or invalid.
made contradictory predictions about whether the market would rise or fall
In some situations, the words opposite and contrary are roughly equivalent. However, opposite applies to things in sharp contrast or in conflict.
opposite views on foreign aid