Contra
/ˈkɒn.trə/noun
A prefix or preposition meaning against or opposite.
Did you know?Contra comes from Latin, where it simply meant “against,” and it survives in countless words that still carry the energy of opposition, resistance, and reversal.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*kom
“together, with”
Proto-Italic
Italic
*kom-trā
“against, opposite direction”
Latin
Latin
contra
“against, opposite, facing”
Old French
OF
contre
“against, opposite”
Middle English
English
contra-
“against; opposed to”
Modern English
English
contra
“against; opposition”
Explore more surprising origins