against

Meanings

1. 1
   prep

   Touching or leaning on something for support.

   The ladder was leaning against the wall.

2. 2
   prep

   Opposed to; not in favour of.

   Many people protested against the new law.

3. 3
   prep

   Competing with; playing or fighting on the opposite side.

   Our team is playing against the league champions this weekend.

4. 4
   prep

   In the opposite direction to something.

   It is hard work to swim against the current.

Appears in

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₁én Proto-Germanic *in Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰengʰ-der. Proto-Germanic *ganganąder.? Proto-Germanic *gagin Proto-Germanic *in gagin Proto-West Germanic *in gagin Old English onġēander. Middle English ayenes English against Formed from Middle English ayenes, agenes, againes (“in opposition to”), a southern variant of agen, or directly from again, either way with adverbial genitive singular ending -es; the parasitic -t was added circa 1350, probably by confusion with the superlative ending -est. By surface analysis, again + -st (excrescent ending). Cognate wi…

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