Advertisement

Advertisement

View synonyms for adversative

adversative

[ ad-vur-suh-tiv ]

adjective

  1. expressing contrariety, opposition, or antithesis:

    “But” is an adversative conjunction.



noun

  1. an adversative word or proposition.

adversative

/ ədˈvɜːsətɪv /

adjective

  1. (of a word, phrase, or clause) implying opposition or contrast. But and although are adversative conjunctions introducing adversative clauses
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012


noun

  1. an adversative word or speech element
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Discover More

Other Words From

  • ad·versa·tive·ly adverb
Discover More

Word History and Origins

Origin of adversative1

1525–35; < Late Latin adversātīvus, equivalent to adversāt ( us ) (past participle of adversārī to resist; adverse, -ate 1 ) + -īvus -ive
Discover More

Example Sentences

Without the adversative, the colon is to be preferred: "Prosperity showeth vice: adversity, virtue."

Another example is, "Only the star dazzles; the planet has a faint, moon-like ray" (adversative).

They are sometimes adversative; sometimes they are simply cumulative.

The que here has a slight adversative force, as is often the case with et.

But the conjunction is often omitted in copulative and adversative clauses, as in Sec.

Advertisement

Related Words

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement


adversaryismadversative asyndeton