the contrary
noun
: an opposite or different fact, event, or situation
He was sure his sister had made a mistake, but the contrary was true: she was right and he was wrong.
Examples of the contrary in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
At every stage in the emergence of the artificial state, tech leaders have promised that the latest new tools would be good for democracy, and for freedom, no matter the mounting evidence to the contrary.
—
Jill Lepore, The New Yorker, 4 Nov. 2024
To the contrary, their vindictiveness knows no bounds.
—David Faris, Newsweek, 3 Nov. 2024
On the contrary, organic research (i.e., SEO) still sends over 53% of website traffic.
—Adhip Ray, Forbes, 30 Oct. 2024
As these voters see it, Democratic policymakers have been more focused on supporting immigrants than them, despite years of evidence to the contrary, Nelsen said.
—Rob Wile, NBC News, 26 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for the contrary 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Jill Lepore, The New Yorker, 4 Nov. 2024
To the contrary, their vindictiveness knows no bounds.
—David Faris, Newsweek, 3 Nov. 2024
On the contrary, organic research (i.e., SEO) still sends over 53% of website traffic.
—Adhip Ray, Forbes, 30 Oct. 2024
As these voters see it, Democratic policymakers have been more focused on supporting immigrants than them, despite years of evidence to the contrary, Nelsen said.
—Rob Wile, NBC News, 26 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for the contrary
Dictionary Entries Near the contrary
Cite this Entry
“The contrary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20contrary. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share