Contrary
/ˈkɒn.trə.ri/noun
Opposed in nature, direction, or meaning; stubbornly resistant.
Did you know?Its ancestor in Latin, *contrarius*, literally meant ‘turned against’—and that same root helped shape English words like *counter*, *count*, and even *encounter*.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*kʷent-
“to turn, revolve”
Latin
Latin
contra
“against, opposite”
Latin
Latin
contrarius
“opposite, adverse; turned against”
Old French
Old French
contrarie
“opposed, contrary”
Middle English
English
contrarie
“opposed, adverse, conflicting”
Modern English
English
contrary
“opposed in nature, direction, or meaning; stubbornly resistant”