Contrary Meaning
/ˈkɒntɹəɹi/Definition, CEFR level C1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
adjOpposite; in an opposite direction; in opposition; adverse.
adjOpposed; contradictory; inconsistent.
Sentence Examples
And yet, the contrary is always true as well.
"Have you finished?" "On the contrary, I have not even begun yet."
In the end the contrary was proved true: he was innocent and she was guilty.
Synonyms & Antonyms
Antonyms:
CEFR Practice Quiz
Despite the sunny forecast, the weather turned quite ____ and rained all day.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
And yet, the ____ is always true as well.
Word Origin & History
From Middle English contrarie, compare French contraire, from Old French contraire, from Latin contrārius (“opposite, opposed, contrary”), from contrā (“against”).
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"And if ye walk contrary unto me, and will not hearken unto me[…]"
— 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Leviticus 26:21:
"We have lost our labour; they are gone a contrary way."
— c. 1604–1605 (date written), William Shakespeare, “All’s Well, that Ends Well”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene v]:
"Galileo [Galilei]'s zeal for his opinions soon led him again to bring the question under the notice of the Pope, and the result was a declaration of the Inquisition that the doctrine of the earth's motion appeared to be contrary to the sacred scripture."
— 1847, William Whewell, “Sequel to Copernicus—The Reception and Development of the Copernican Theory”, in History of the Inductive Sciences, from the Earliest to the Present Times. […], new edition, volume I, London: John W[illiam] Parker, […], →OCLC, book V (History of Formal Astronomy after the Stationary Period), section 4 (The Copernican System Opposed on Theological Grounds), page 419:
"No contraries hold more antipathy
Than I and such a knave."
— c. 1603–1606, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of King Lear”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene ii]:
"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."
— 1725, Isaac Watts, Logick: Or, The Right Use of Reason in the Enquiry after Truth, […], 2nd edition, London: […] John Clark and Richard Hett, […], Emanuel Matthews, […], and Richard Ford, […], published 1726, →OCLC:
Explore More C1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
Despite the sunny forecast, the weather turned quite ____ and rained all day.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
And yet, the ____ is always true as well.