Adversarial Meaning
/ˌæd.vəˈsɛə.ɹi.əl/Definition, CEFR level C2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
adjCharacteristic of, or in the manner of, an adversary; combative, hostile, opposed.
adjIn which issues are tried through the presentation of evidence and argument by adverse parties, with no or limited inquiry by the court's own initiative.
Sentence Examples
The adversarial system is used.
Adversarial relationships can be harmful.
The two lawyers maintained an adversarial relationship throughout the entire trial.
CEFR Practice Quiz
During the heated debate, the two politicians adopted an ____ stance against each other.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The courtroom process is often ____ in nature, with two opposing sides.
Word Origin & History
Probably from adversary + -al
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"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."
— 2012 November 7, Matt Bai, “Winning a Second Term, Obama Will Confront Familiar Headwinds”, in New York Times:
"The White Paper therefore aims to tackle complexity rather then ownership of the railways, and to eliminate "the adversarial relationships between operators, suppliers, NR and government"."
— 2021 June 2, “Network News: Simplification, not nationalisation”, in RAIL, number 932, page 9:
Explore More C2 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
During the heated debate, the two politicians adopted an ____ stance against each other.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The courtroom process is often ____ in nature, with two opposing sides.