opponent

B2 Topic:People & Society

US /əˈpəʊ.nənt/ See IPA manual

Freq #5573

Meanings

1

noun
A person you compete or fight against in a game, contest, or argument.

The person who ran against her proved to be a formidable opponent.
2

noun
A person who is against an idea, plan, or policy.

Opponents of the new law gathered to protest.
3

adj
Opposing; acting against.

The two opponent armies faced each other across the valley.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · a person you compete or... adversary antagonist opposition

2 noun · a person who is against an... opposer

3 adj · opposing; acting against. opposing

Opposites

advocate proponent respondent supporter

Word family

Forms opponents

Derived forms opponency

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

formidable opponent
a rival whose strength or skill makes them difficult to defeat

Adjective + noun

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin oppōnēns (“opposing”), present active participle of oppōnō (“to oppose”).

*tḱey- Proto-Indo-European oppōnēns Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

People & Society

External links

# opponent

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B2
**Part of speech:** noun, adj
**IPA (US):** /əˈpəʊ.nənt/
**Frequency rank:** 5573

## Meanings
1. A person you compete or fight against in a game, contest, or argument.
2. A person who is against an idea, plan, or policy.
3. Opposing; acting against.

## Examples
- The person who ran against her proved to be a formidable opponent.
- Opponents of the new law gathered to protest.
- The two opponent armies faced each other across the valley.

## Synonyms
- adversary
- antagonist

## Antonyms
- advocate
- proponent
- respondent
- supporter

## Derived Forms
- opponency

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *tḱey-
- Root: oppōnēns
- Affix: -ent - one who

## Etymology
Borrowed from Latin oppōnēns (“opposing”), present active participle of oppōnō (“to oppose”).

## AI Etymology
Opponent was borrowed from Latin oppōnēns (“opposing”), present active participle of oppōnō (“to oppose”). The historical chain includes Proto-Indo-European *tḱey- and Latin oppōnēns. Modern senses include a person you compete or fight against in a game, contest, or argument and a person who is against an idea, plan, or policy. The wider word family includes derivatives such as opponency.

## Topics
- People & Society

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