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Adversary   /ˈædvərsˌɛri/   Listen
noun
Adversary  n.  (pl. adversaries)  One who is turned against another or others with a design to oppose or resist them; a member of an opposing or hostile party; an opponent; an antagonist; an enemy; a foe. "His ancient knot of dangerous adversaries." "Agree with thine adversary quickly." "It may be thought that to vindicate the permanency of truth is to dispute without an adversary."
The Adversary, The Satan, or the Devil.
Synonyms: Adversary, Enemy, Opponent, Antagonist. Enemy is the only one of these words which necessarily implies a state of personal hostility. Men may be adversaries, antagonists, or opponents to each other in certain respects, and yet have no feelings of general animosity. An adversary may be simply one who is placed for a time in a hostile position, as in a lawsuit, an argument, in chess playing, or at fence. An opponent is one who is ranged against another (perhaps passively) on the opposing side; as a political opponent, an opponent in debate. An antagonist is one who struggles against another with active effort, either in a literal fight or in verbal debate.



adjective
Adversary  adj.  
1.
Opposed; opposite; adverse; antagonistic. (Archaic)
2.
(Law) Having an opposing party; not unopposed; as, an adversary suit.






Collaborative International Dictionary of English 0.48








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"Adversary" Quotes from Famous Books



... Austrian force, not inferior to Moreau's own, lay within the bend of the Rhine that covers Baden and Wuertemberg. Moreau crossed the Rhine at various points, and by a succession of ingenious manoeuvres led his adversary, Kray, to occupy all the roads through the Black Forest except those by which the northern divisions of the French were actually passing. A series of engagements, conspicuous for the skill of the ...
— History of Modern Europe 1792-1878 • C. A. Fyffe

... extraordinary generalship of Alexander, who brought into action every part of his army, while at least three-quarters of the Persians were mere spectators, so that his available force was really great. His sagacious combinations, his perception of the weak points of his adversary, and the instant advantage which he seized—his insight, rapidity of movement, and splendid organization, made him irresistible against any Persian array of numbers, without skill. Indeed, the Persian army was too large, since it could not be commanded by one man with any effect, ...
— Ancient States and Empires • John Lord

... rule, taking penalties, enforcing the most rigid etiquette. For he was one of those rare players who knew the game so thoroughly that while he, and the man he had taught, often ignored the classics of adversary play, the slightest relaxing of etiquette, rule, precept, or precedent, in his opponents, brought him out with a protest exacting the last item ...
— The Firing Line • Robert W. Chambers

... yet solve, as he says himself, "in the mighty hands of Darwin." Happy in the bustle of strife against old and deep-rooted prejudices, against intolerance and superstition, he wielded his sharp weapons on Darwin's behalf; wearing Darwin's armour he joyously overthrew adversary after adversary. Darwin spoke of Huxley as his "general agent."[75] Huxley says of ...
— Evolution in Modern Thought • Ernst Haeckel

... grove to shy horseshoes at the stationary but amazingly elusive pegs. It was not an uncommon thing for a merchant to close his place of business for an hour or so in order to keep an engagement to pitch horseshoes with some time-honoured adversary. ...
— Viola Gwyn • George Barr McCutcheon


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