Word
contra
Phoneticscon·tra
US/ˈkɑntɹə/
UK/kˈɒntɹɐ/
Definition
prep. against or in opposition to something. You use this when comparing two different ideas or facts.
prep. against or in opposition to; used to introduce a counter-argument or a contrasting fact.
Examples
“The evidence for the theory is strong, contra the earlier findings.”
“The CEO argued for expansion, contra the advice of the financial consultants who recommended caution.”
“The author maintains that the revolution was driven by economic factors, contra the traditional view that religious fervor was the primary catalyst for the uprising.”
Examples
simple
“The evidence for the theory is strong, contra the earlier findings.”
contextual
“The CEO argued for expansion, contra the advice of the financial consultants who recommended caution.”
complex
“The author maintains that the revolution was driven by economic factors, contra the traditional view that religious fervor was the primary catalyst for the uprising.”
Usage
Typically used in academic or formal writing to introduce a contrasting opinion or piece of evidence.
Etymology
Ultimately from Latin contrā.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Domains
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/contra