opposition
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
strong disagreement with a plan, idea, or person.
the action of resisting or disagreeing with a proposal, policy, or person. Often used with the preposition 'to'.
Simple“The new tax met with strong opposition from local business owners.”
In context“The proposed development faced fierce opposition from environmental groups, who argued that the construction would destroy a vital local ecosystem.”
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
the political parties that are not in power and disagree with the government.
the main political party or group of parties that is not in government and opposes its policies.
Simple“The leader of the opposition criticized the prime minister's new health policy.”
In context“After the election, the former ruling party found itself in opposition, struggling to maintain a unified voice against the new administration's reforms.”
SynonymsAntonyms - 03 C1 Advanced
a state of being completely different or opposite to something else.
a state of contrast or antithesis between two things.
Simple“There is a clear opposition between his words and his actions.”
In context“The author explores the binary opposition between urban decay and rural innocence throughout the first half of the novel.”
SynonymsAntonyms - 04 C2 Proficiency
when two planets or stars are on opposite sides of the Earth.
the position of two celestial bodies when they are 180 degrees apart as viewed from Earth.
Simple“Mars is in opposition this month, making it look very bright in the night sky.”
In context“During opposition, a planet is at its closest point to Earth, providing astronomers with an ideal window for high-resolution observation.”
Antonyms - 05 C1 Advanced
a formal process to stop a trademark or patent from being registered.
a formal proceeding in intellectual property law where a party seeks to prevent the registration of a trademark or patent.
Simple“The company filed an opposition to prevent their rival from using a similar logo.”
In context“The legal team prepared a formal notice of opposition, citing several prior registrations that would likely cause consumer confusion.”
Usage opposition leader · opposition parties · opposition party
“And as a deterrent to goalkeepers who take a long time over goal-kicks towards the end of games, he can now give the opposition a corner instead if the keeper takes too long.”
“The government is expected to land a deal with the opposition early next week in order to pass the bill in the Senate.”
From Middle English opposicioun, from Old French oposicion (whence French opposition), from Late Latin oppositiō, translating Ancient Greek ἀντίθεσις (antíthesis), from the past participle stem of classical Latin oppōnō (“I set against”). Equivalent to oppose + -ition.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.