Etymologically
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adversary

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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
  • 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