adversary

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˈæd.və.sɛɹi/, /ˈæd.və.s(ə)ɹi/ (UK); /ˈæd.vəɹˌsɛɹi/ (US)^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle English adversarie,^[2][3][4] borrowed from Old French adversarie, adverser,^[5][6][4] or directly borrowed from Latin adversārius (“opponent, rival, enemy”),^[2][5][6][3] a noun use of the adjective adversārius “opposite, hostile”,^[6][4] from adversus (“turned toward, facing; hostile”) (see adverse) and the suffix -ārius.^[2][5][6][3] The d of the modern spelling is due to the Latin.^[7]

Earliest recorded meaning

An opponent, antagonist or enemy (1330 in the OED; 1340 in Barnhart; mid-14th century in Etymonline), originally especially Satan as the enemy of mankind.^[8][5][6]

Semantic evolution

The adjective, “opposed, hostile”, is recorded from 1382 and is now archaic,^[8][4] but in law an adversary proceeding is one with opposing parties,^[8][9][3] which British English calls adversarial.^[3][10] The noun also came to mean an opponent in a game or contest.^[3][10]

Timeline

• 1330 – an opponent, enemy.^[8]
• 1340 – recorded in Barnhart.^[5]
• 1382 – adjective, opposed, hostile.^[8]

Modern meaning

Noun

1. An opponent or enemy; one who contends with or resists another.
2. An opposing contestant in a game or sport.
3. The Adversary: the Devil, Satan.

Adjective

1. Involving opposing parties or interests, as in a legal proceeding; adversarial.

Word family

• adversarial

Related words

• adverse
• adversity
• antagonist
• versus
• foe

Usage notes

The RHWU distinguishes adversary and antagonist: an adversary is an enemy who fights determinedly and relentlessly, while an antagonist opposes another in a hostile spirit, often in a particular contest.^[3]

References

1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin
3. ^ a b c d e f g Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (1999), 2nd ed., New York: Random House
4. ^ a b c d Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
5. ^ a b c d e Barnhart, Robert K., ed. (1995), The Barnhart Concise Dictionary of Etymology, New York: HarperCollins
6. ^ a b c d e Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
7. ^ Klein, Ernest. A Comprehensive Etymological Dictionary of the English Language. 2 vols. Amsterdam: Elsevier, 1966–1967.
8. ^ a b c d e Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
9. ^ Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (2003), 11th ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
10. ^ a b Collins English Dictionary (2023), Glasgow: HarperCollins