adversary

American  

[ad-ver-ser-ee] / ˈæd vərˌsɛr i /

noun

plural

adversaries

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

Related Words

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

• adversariness noun
• nonadversarial adjective

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

Example Sentences

The designation is based on a provision in a 2010 law aimed at foreign adversaries seeking to “sabotage, maliciously introduce unwanted function, or otherwise subvert” American military systems.

From The Wall Street Journal

"If a country openly describes its capabilities or specific operations, it risks revealing techniques, access points, or intelligence sources that could be shut down quickly by adversaries," said Kollender.

From BBC

Anthropic is the first US company ever to have been publicly punished with such a designation, a label typically reserved for organizations from foreign adversary countries, such as Chinese tech giant Huawei.

From Barron's

Since then, American air power has played an essential role in defeating adversaries, though successful operations to oust regimes have drawn on U.S. or local ground forces.

From The Wall Street Journal

With gigawatts of AI simulations, adversaries can simulate their own demise against us—SAD, Strongly Assured Destruction—and negotiate peace instead.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

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