adversative

American  

[ad-vur-suh-tiv] / ædˈvɜr sə tɪv /

adjective

1. expressing contrariety, opposition, or antithesis.

   “But” is an adversative conjunction.

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noun

1. an adversative word or proposition.

adversative British  

/ ədˈvɜːsətɪv /

adjective

1. (of a word, phrase, or clause) implying opposition or contrast. But and although are adversative conjunctions introducing adversative clauses

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noun

1. an adversative word or speech element

Other Word Forms

• adversatively adverb

Etymology

Origin of adversative

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

Example Sentences

Companies that in the past had an adversative relationship with conservation groups have begun to take actions that are more than public relations.

From Time Magazine Archive

And if in volunteering him directions how to proceed, she had any purpose adversative to his, her note was without meaning.

From The Black Baronet; or, The Chronicles Of Ballytrain The Works of William Carleton, Volume One by Carleton, William

The adversative sentence faces, so to speak, half way about on but.

From Higher Lessons in English A work on English grammar and composition by Kellogg, Brainerd

Cocke and I have felt it in our bones—Gammer Gurton's Needle With adversative or disjunctive connectives.

From An English Grammar by Sewell, James Witt

The difficulty of preserving the effect of the Greek is increased by the want of adversative and inferential particles in English, and by the nice sense of tautology which characterizes all modern languages.

From Charmides by Jowett, Benjamin

Related Words

• antagonistic