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

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

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

"When the president travels to war zones, there are frequently tactics and techniques used to create doubt in an adversary of which aircraft or which movement that he's going to make," he added.

From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026

The Strait of Hormuz is, by some accounts, named for a Zoroastrian deity destined to emerge victorious after a 9,000-year standoff with an adversary.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 8, 2026

Here as well, the California Public Employment Relations Board joined the case on appeal as the district’s primary adversary before the appellate and state supreme court.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026

She has proven a formidable adversary for Democrats for 30 years, most recently defeating a better-funded opponent in 2020 despite polls showing her trailing right up to election day.

From BBC ● Jul. 9, 2026

And he saw the adversary stealing the fruits of his master’s fields and paddocks, carrying off chickens and leading goats by ropes.

From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves" by M.T. Anderson

U.S. authorities are enforcing a new “Connected Vehicles” rule aiming to prevent foreign adversaries such as China and Russia from using technology such as data transmission and cameras in vehicles to spy on Americans.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026

The researchers also monitor to ensure satellite operators are complying with their licences and track foreign "adversaries".

From Barron's ● Aug. 7, 2026

Much of the campaign against online adversaries has been coordinated by the ICE Office of Professional Responsibility, which is based in Washington, D.C., and has field offices nationwide.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026

Iran's acting Defence Minister Majid Ibn al-Reza earlier said Tehran viewed every threat from its adversaries as "real and credible" even if it formed part of psychological warfare.

From BBC ● Aug. 3, 2026

Critics, scholars, and curators are not our adversaries.

From "History of Art, Volume 1" by H.W. Janson

Related Words

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