# opposed

/əˈpoʊzd/ (US) · /əpˈəʊzd/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/opposed
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. disagreeing with a plan

adjective · CEFR B2

disagreeing strongly with something, such as a plan or a law.

For teachers: actively resisting or disagreeing with a specific policy, action, or idea. Often used with the preposition 'to'.

- Most of the local residents are opposed to the plan to build a new shopping mall.
- The board of directors remained firmly opposed to the merger, citing concerns over the long-term stability of the partner company.

Usage: Commonly follows the verb 'to be' and takes the preposition 'to'.

### 2. completely different

adjective · CEFR B2

being as different as possible from something else.

For teachers: situated or moving in a direction or position that is diametrically different; contrasting in nature.

- The two brothers have completely opposed views on how to spend money.
- The researchers reached entirely opposed conclusions despite analyzing the same set of raw data from the clinical trials.

Usage: Often used to describe abstract concepts like views, interests, or goals.

### 3. past action of resisting

verb · CEFR B2

the past tense of 'oppose', meaning you tried to stop something from happening.

For teachers: the past tense and past participle of the transitive verb 'oppose', indicating the act of competing against or resisting an entity.

- The small army opposed the invasion for three weeks before retreating.
- Throughout his political career, he consistently opposed any legislation that threatened environmental protections.

## Examples

- Most local residents are opposed to the new highway plan.
- The two political parties are deeply opposed on the issue of tax reform, making a compromise unlikely.
- While the board of directors remained firmly opposed to the merger, the shareholders were increasingly swayed by the promise of immediate dividends.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.