opposite

/ˈä-pə-zət/

Middle English, borrowed from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French, borrowed from Latin oppositus, from past participle of oppōnere "to place (over or against), place as an obstacle, set in opposition to, argue in reply"

adjective

  1. set over against something that is at the other end or side of an intervening line or space

  2. situated in pairs on an axis with each member being separated from the other by half the circumference of the axis

  3. occupying an opposing and often antagonistic position

opposite interior angles

opposite leaves

opposite contradictory contrary antithetical mean being so far apart as to be or seem irreconcilable. opposite applies to things in sharp contrast or in conflict. 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.

noun

  1. something that is opposed to some other often specified thing

  2. antonym

  3. additive inverse; especially : the additive inverse of a real number

adverb

  1. on or to an opposite side