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opposite. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
opposite, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
opposite in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
opposite you have here. The definition of the word
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English
Alternative forms
Etymology
From Old French oposite, from Latin oppositus, perfect passive participle of oppōnō (“I oppose”). Compare oppose.
Pronunciation
Adjective
opposite (not comparable)
- Located directly across from something else, or from each other.
- She saw him walking on the opposite side of the road.
- (botany) Of leaves and flowers, positioned directly across from each other on a stem.
- Facing in the other direction.
- They were moving in opposite directions.
- Of either of two complementary or mutually exclusive things.
- He is attracted to the opposite sex.
- Extremely different; inconsistent; contrary; repugnant; antagonistic.
1697, Virgil, “Dedication”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. , London: Jacob Tonson, , →OCLC:Novels, by which the reader is misled into another sort of pieasure opposite to that which is designed in an epick poem.
- , Book III
- Particles of speech have divers, and sometimes almost opposite, significations.
Derived terms
Translations
located directly across from
- Arabic: ضِدّ (ḍidd)
- Hijazi Arabic: مُقابل (mugābil), قُدَّام (guddām)
- Armenian: հակառակ (hy) (hakaṙak), հանդիպակաց (hy) (handipakacʿ)
- Belarusian: супрацьле́глы (supracʹljéhly)
- Bulgarian: противополо́жен (bg) (protivopolóžen), отсре́щен (bg) (otsréšten)
- Catalan: oposat (ca)
- Chinese:
- Mandarin: 對面的/对面的 (zh) (duìmiàn de)
- Czech: druhý (cs) m, opačný (cs) m, protilehlý
- Danish: modsat
- Dutch: tegenoverliggend (nl)
- Finnish: vastapäinen (fi)
- French: opposé (fr)
- German: gegenüberliegend (de), andere (de)
- Greek: απέναντι (el) (apénanti)
- Ancient: ἐναντίος (enantíos)
- Hebrew: ממול (mimul)
- Hungarian: szemben levő, túlsó (hu)
- Irish: urchomhaireach
- Italian: opposto (it)
- Japanese: 反対の (ja) (はんたいの, hantai no), 逆くの (ぎゃくの, gyaku no)
- Korean: 반대의 (ko) (bandae'ui)
- Latin: oppositus (la)
- Maori: tauaro, hakehakeā
- Mongolian: эсрэг (mn) (esreg)
- Norman: opposé
- Norwegian: motsatt (no)
- Occitan: opausat (oc)
- Persian: ضد (fa)
- Polish: przeciwległy (pl) m
- Portuguese: oposto (pt)
- Romanian: opus (ro)
- Russian: противополо́жный (ru) (protivopolóžnyj)
- Scottish Gaelic: mu choinneimh
- Serbo-Croatian:
- Cyrillic: супротан
- Roman: suprotan (sh)
- Slovak: protiľahlý
- Spanish: opuesto (es)
- Swedish: motsatt (sv)
- Tagalog: tapat
- Turkish: karşı (tr)
- Ukrainian: протиле́жний (uk) (protyléžnyj)
- Uzbek: o‘tru (uz), qarshi (uz)
- Welsh: cyferbyn (cy)
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of complementary or mutually exclusive things
Noun
opposite (plural opposites)
- Something opposite or contrary to something else.
- A person or thing that is entirely different from or the reverse of someone or something else; used to show contrast between two people or two things.
- She is the opposite of her ex-boyfriend who abused her both physically and verbally nearly every day for five years. She now works as an advocate and supportive listener for others who have endured abusive relationships.
- An opponent.
- An antonym.
- "Up" is the opposite of "down".
- (mathematics) An additive inverse.
Derived terms
Translations
contrary thing
- Catalan: contrari (ca) m
- Czech: protiklad (cs) m, opak (cs) m
- Danish: det modsatte n
- Dutch: tegenovergestelde (nl) n
- Esperanto: kontraŭo
- Finnish: vastakohta (fi)
- French: contraire (fr) m, inverse (fr) m
- Galician: aveso m, contrario (gl) m, oposto (gl) m
- German: Gegenteil (de) m, Gegensatz (de) m
- Hungarian: ellentét (hu)
- Icelandic: andstæða f
- Italian: opposto (it) m, contrario (it) m
- Japanese: あべこべ (ja) (abekobe)
- Latvian: pretstats m
- Lithuanian: please add this translation if you can
- Norwegian: motsatt (no)
- Piedmontese: opòst m
- Plautdietsch: Jäajendeel n
- Polish: przeciwieństwo (pl) n, sprzeczność (pl) f
- Portuguese: oposto (pt) m, contrário (pt) m
- Spanish: contrario (es)
- Swedish: motsats (sv) c
- Tagalog: kabaligtaran
- Telugu: వ్యతిరేకం (te) (vyatirēkaṁ)
- Turkish: karşıt (tr), zıt (tr)
- Vietnamese: thứ trái ngược, điều trái ngược
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Adverb
opposite (not comparable)
- In an opposite position.
- I was on my seat and she stood opposite.
- Where's the bus station? -Over there, just opposite.
Translations
Preposition
opposite
- Facing, or across from.
He lives opposite the pub.
1906, Stanley J[ohn] Weyman, chapter I, in Chippinge Borough, New York, N.Y.: McClure, Phillips & Co., →OCLC, page 01:It was April 22, 1831, and a young man was walking down Whitehall in the direction of Parliament Street. […]. He halted opposite the Privy Gardens, and, with his face turned skywards, listened until the sound of the Tower guns smote again on the ear and dispelled his doubts.
- In a complementary role to.
He played opposite Marilyn Monroe.
- (television) On another channel at the same time.
- The game show Just Men! aired opposite The Young and the Restless on CBS.
Translations
in a complementary role to
See also
Latin
Adjective
opposite
- vocative masculine singular of oppositus
References
- opposite in Ramminger, Johann (2016 July 16 (last accessed)) Neulateinische Wortliste: Ein Wörterbuch des Lateinischen von Petrarca bis 1700, pre-publication website, 2005-2016
Middle French
Adjective
opposite m or f (plural opposites)
- opposite (located directly across from something else, or from each other)
Noun
opposite f (plural opposites)
- opposite side
References