contrary

adjective

1. 1

   Opposite; in an opposite direction; in opposition; adverse.

   contrary winds

   And if ye walk contrary unto me, and will not hearken unto me[…]

   We have lost our labour; they are gone a contrary way.

2. 2

   Opposed; contradictory; inconsistent.

   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.

3. 3

   Given to opposition; perverse; wayward.

   a contrary disposition; a contrary child

adverb

1. 1

   Contrarily

   I never act contrary to my principles.

noun

1. 1

   The opposite.

   No contraries hold more antipathy Than I and such a knave.

2. 2

   One of a pair of propositions that cannot both be simultaneously true, though they may both be false.

   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.

3. 3

   historicalA type of loaded die.

verb

1. 1

   obsoleteTo oppose; to frustrate.

   You that be of the court, & eſpecially ye ſworn chaplains beware of a leſſon that a great man taught me at my firſt coming to the court he told me for a good will, he thoughte it wel. He ſayd vnto me. You muſt beware how ſo euer ye do that ye cõtrary not the king, let him haue his ſaiyngs, folow him, go with him. Mary out vpon this counſel, ſhal I ſay, as he ſayes?

   The Athenians having left the enemie in their owne land, for to pass into Sicilie, had very ill successe, and were much contraried by fortune[…].

2. 2

   obsoleteTo impugn.

3. 3

   obsoleteTo contradict (someone or something).

   thus wilfully sir Palomydes dyd bataille with yow & as for hym sir I was not gretely aferd but I dred fore laūcelot that knew yow not Madame said Palomydes ye maye saye what so ye wyll I maye not contrary yow but by my knyghthode I knewe not sir Tristram

   I finde them everie one in his turne to have reason, although they contrary one another.

4. 4

   obsoleteTo do the opposite of (someone or something).

5. 5

   obsoleteTo act inconsistently or perversely; to act in opposition to.

6. 6

   obsoleteTo argue; to debate; to uphold an opposite opinion.

7. 7

   obsoleteTo be self-contradictory; to become reversed.

Forms

plural

contraries

comparative

more contrary

superlative

most contrary

past tense

contraried

past participle

contraried

present participle

contrarying

third person singular

contraries