opponent

Sayuh-POH-nuhntUS/əˈpoʊnənt//əˈpəʊnənt/

Pluralopponents

7 meanings of opponent

Practice

1
nouncountable
A person you fight or play against in a sport, game, or contest.
Like the other team you must beat to win a game.
He knocked his opponent to the mat in the first round.
The wrestler pinned both opponents during the tournament.
Similarrival, competitor, challenger, adversary
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2
nouncountable
A person who works against you or tries to stop what you want to do.
Like someone pulling the other way in a tug-of-war.
He treated his rival as a worthy opponent rather than an enemy.
The reformers gained ground faster than their opponents expected.
Similaradversary, rival, foe, enemy
Oppositesupporter, ally
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3
nouncountable
A person who is against a plan, idea, or way of doing things.
Like someone who votes no when others want to say yes.
Opponents of the new tax marched outside city hall.
She became a vocal opponent of the building project.
Similarcritic, objector, detractor
Oppositesupporter, proponent, advocate
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4
nouncountable
A person who argues against you in a debate or disagreement.
Like the other person in a back-and-forth argument.
He calmly answered each opponent during the town hall debate.
Her opponents in the argument could not find a good reply.
Similaradversary, rival, antagonist
Oppositeally
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5
nounhistoricalcountable
In old college debates, the person who started by arguing against the main idea.
The opponent stood up and began listing problems with the argument.
We make the argument appere slender, when we receiue it laughyngly, and declare by wordes, euen at the first, that it is nothyng to the purpose, and so abashe the opponent.
1551, Thomas Wilson, “The maner of confutacion twoo waies considered”Here, opponent means the person who raises objections in a formal debate.
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Less common meanings

6
adjectiveobsolete
Working against someone or something, or standing in their way.
Like a wind that blows straight against you.
The general feared the opponent forces gathering beyond the river.
Young Ithacus advanc’d, defies the foe, Poising his lifted lance in act to throw: The savage renders vain the wound decreed, And springs impetuous with opponent speed!
1726, Elijah Fenton, The Odyssey of HomerHere, opponent means acting against someone, hostile.
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7
adjectiveobsolete
Placed in front of or facing something.
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Origin

From Latin "opponens," meaning "opposing."