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Synonyms

contra

1 American  
[kon-truh] / ˈkɒn trə /

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.

contra 2 American  
[kon-truh, kawn-trah] / ˈkɒn trə, ˈkɔn trɑ /

noun

plural

contras

  1. (often initial capital letter) a member of a counterrevolutionary guerrilla group in Nicaragua.

contra- 3 American  

  1. a prefix meaning “against,” “opposite,” “opposing”.

    contradistinction, contraindicate.
contra- 4 American  

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

    contralto, contrabassoon.
contra- British  

prefix

  1. against; contrary; opposing; contrasting

    contraceptive

    contradistinction

  2. (in music) pitched below

    contrabass
"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

Etymology

Origin of contra1

1350–1400; Middle English < Latin contrā

Origin of contra2

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

Origin of contra-3

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

Origin of contra-4

< Italian < Latin; contra- 1 ( def. ), counterpoint

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Giraffes, contra Lamarck, didn’t reach for high leaves, develop long necks and then pass those necks on to their descendants.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 20, 2026

Se le preguntó a James si se habría imaginado un formato de Estados Unidos contra el mundo.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 15, 2026

En un interesante giro de los acontecimientos, Lahijani presentó una demanda contra la Lotería de California alegando que él era en realidad el legítimo propietario de ambos boletos, pero que había perdido el segundo.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 24, 2025

Enfatiza cuestiones como el refuerzo de los programas sociales para acabar con la desigualdad, la expansión de la educación superior y la lucha contra la delincuencia.

From Science Magazine • May 8, 2024

I would not have written this book if I did not believe, contra Wilde, that many principles of style really can be taught.

From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.