contra

1
[ kon-truh ]
See synonyms for: contracontras on Thesaurus.com

preposition
  1. against; in opposition or contrast to: Consider the problems of the teenager contra those of the adult.

adverb
  1. contrariwise; on or to the contrary.

Origin of contra

1
1350–1400; Middle English <Latin contrā

Words Nearby contra

Other definitions for contra (2 of 4)

contra2
[ kon-truh; Spanish kawn-trah ]

noun,plural con·tras [kon-truhz; Spanish kawn-trahs]. /ˈkɒn trəz; Spanish ˈkɔn trɑs/.
  1. (often initial capital letter) a member of a counterrevolutionary guerrilla group in Nicaragua.

Origin of contra

2
First recorded in 1980–85; from Central American Spanish, shortening of contrarrevolucionario “counterrevolutionary”

Other definitions for contra- (3 of 4)

contra-1

  1. a prefix meaning “against,” “opposite,” “opposing”: contradistinction, contraindicate.

Origin of contra-

3
<Late Latin, Latin, prefixal use of adverb and preposition contrā

Other definitions for contra- (4 of 4)

contra-2

  1. a prefix meaning “pitched lower than” the voice or instrument specified by the following element: contralto, contrabassoon.

Origin of contra-

4
<Italian <Latin; see contra-1, counterpoint

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How to use contra in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for contra-

contra-

prefix
  1. against; contrary; opposing; contrasting: contraceptive; contradistinction

  2. (in music) pitched below: contrabass

Origin of contra-

1
from Latin, from contrā against

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