Opposition
/ˌɑː.pəˈzɪʃ.ən/noun
The act of resisting, placing against, or being situated directly across from something.
Did you know?In astrology, opposition is the 180° alignment of two bodies, and the word’s Latin ancestor was used for physically setting one thing against another before it became a political and cosmic term.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*sta-
“to stand, place”
Latin
Latin
opponere
“to set against, oppose”
Late Latin
Latin
oppositiō
“an opposing, a placing against”
Old French
Old French
opposicion
“resistance, contradiction”
14th Century
English
opposicioun
“the act of setting against or resisting”
Modern English
English
opposition
“resistance, contrast, or a state of being directly across from something”