Trivia Time

In the famous epic poem, who is the adversary of Odysseus?

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adversary

American  

[ad-ver-ser-ee] / ˈæd vərˌsɛr i /

noun

• adversaries
  plural

1. a person, group, or force that opposes or attacks; opponent; enemy; foe.

   Antonyms:

   ally

2. a person, group, etc., that is an opponent in a contest; contestant.

3. the Adversary, the devil; Satan.

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adjective

1. of or relating to an adversary.

2. involving adversaries, as plaintiff and defendant in a legal proceeding.

   an adversary trial.

adversary British  

/ ˈædvəsərɪ /

noun

1. a person or group that is hostile to someone; enemy

2. an opposing contestant in a game or sport

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adjective

1. the US term for adversarial

Synonym Usage

Adversary, antagonist mean a person or a group contending against another. Adversary suggests an enemy who fights determinedly, continuously, and relentlessly: a formidable adversary. Antagonist suggests one who, in hostile spirit, opposes another, often in a particular contest or struggle: a duel with an antagonist.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• adversariness
  noun
• adversarial
  adjective
• nonadversarial
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• adversaries
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of adversary

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English adversarie, from Latin adversārius; equivalent to adverse + -ary; replacing Middle English adversere, from Anglo-French

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Explanation

An adversary is an enemy or someone who opposes someone else. In tennis, you stand across the net from your adversary. Adversary is related to the word adverse, meaning "against or contrary" — so think of an adversary as someone whom you are fighting against. If you're the undefeated chess champion, you have bested every single one of your adversaries. Adversary is derived from a Latin word meaning "against."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

adversary adversaries

“We are racing to build and grow our own adversary here at home, which is misaligned AI,” Turner said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026

Hybrid warfare or hybrid attacks are loose terms that tend to describe non-military methods, for example cyber-attacks, sabotage or misinformation, designed to exert pressure and destabilise an adversary.

From BBC ● Sep. 29, 2026

Hybrid warfare or hybrid attacks are loose terms which tend to describe non-military methods, for example cyberattacks, sabotage or misinformation, designed to exert pressure and destabilise an adversary.

From BBC ● Sep. 23, 2026

The pilot said that he and another aircraft were providing adversary and tactical training for U.S. military aircrews, according to the report.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 23, 2026

By the summer of 1948, J. Edgar Hoover was ready to try a new tactic against his Soviet adversary.

From "Spies: The Secret Showdown Between America and Russia" by Marc Favreau

But the UK's cyber chief said that they could be found and exploited more quickly and easily via "AI in the hands of our adversaries".

From BBC ● Nov. 3, 2026

For someone like myself, who knows next to nothing about climbing, Krakauer powerfully elucidates the pull of a mountain like Everest and the trance-like state in which it ensnares its adversaries.

From Salon ● Nov. 1, 2026

The second season of the series finds the Harrigans locked in a power struggle, as internal divisions and external adversaries threaten the family.

From Barron's ● Oct. 28, 2026

Instead, he imposed and removed tariffs at will on adversaries and allies alike often in the service of some personal whimsy, drawing at least one prominent rebuke from the courts.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2026

Presenting ourselves not as adversaries but as friends has distinguished us as much as the fiery costumes.

From "The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins

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Related Words

• antagonist
• attacker
• competitor
• enemy
• foe
• opponent
• rival

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