opposition

• POS: Noun
• HYPHEN: op=po=si=tion
• COUNT in NET: 4 in 4 verses (in OT : 1 in 1 verses) (in NT : 3 in 3 verses)

CIDE DICTIONARY

opposition, n. [F., fr. L. oppositio. See Opposite.].

•  The act of opposing; an attempt to check, restrain, or defeat; resistance.  [1913 Webster]

  "The counterpoise of so great an opposition."  [1913 Webster]

  "Virtue which breaks through all opposition."  [1913 Webster]
•  The state of being placed over against; situation so as to front something else.  Milton.  [1913 Webster]
•  Repugnance; contrariety of sentiment, interest, or purpose; antipathy.  Shak.  [1913 Webster]
•  That which opposes; an obstacle; specifically, the aggregate of persons or things opposing; hence, in politics and parliamentary practice, the party opposed to the party in power.  [1913 Webster]
•  The situation of a heavenly body with respect to another when in the part of the heavens directly opposite to it; especially, the position of a planet or satellite when its longitude differs from that of the sun 180as, .  [1913 Webster]
•  The relation between two propositions when, having the same subject and predicate, they differ in quantity, or in quality, or in both; or between two propositions which have the same matter but a different form.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

opposition, n.
1 resistance, antagonism.
2 the state of being hostile or in conflict or disagreement.
3 contrast or antithesis.
4 a a group or party of opponents or competitors. b (the Opposition) Brit. the principal parliamentary party opposed to that in office.
5 the act of opposing or placing opposite.
6 a diametrically opposite position. b Astrol. & Astron. the position of two heavenly bodies when their longitude differs by 180°, as seen from the earth.

Derivative

oppositional adj.

Etymology

ME f. OF f. L oppositio (as OB-, POSITION)

DEVIL DICTIONARY

opposition

n. In politics the party that prevents the Government from running amuck by hamstringing it.
The King of Ghargaroo, who had been abroad to study the science of government, appointed one hundred of his fattest subjects as members of a parliament to make laws for the collection of revenue. Forty of these he named the Party of Opposition and had his Prime Minister carefully instruct them in their duty of opposing every royal measure. Nevertheless, the first one that was submitted passed unanimously. Greatly displeased, the King vetoed it, informing the Opposition that if they did that again they would pay for their obstinacy with their heads. The entire forty promptly disemboweled themselves.
"What shall we do now?" the King asked. "Liberal institutions cannot be maintained without a party of Opposition."
"Splendor of the universe," replied the Prime Minister, "it is true these dogs of darkness have no longer their credentials, but all is not lost. Leave the matter to this worm of the dust."
So the Minister had the bodies of his Majesty's Opposition embalmed and stuffed with straw, put back into the seats of power and nailed there. Forty votes were recorded against every bill and the nation prospered. But one day a bill imposing a tax on warts was defeated -- the members of the Government party had not been nailed to their seats! This so enraged the King that the Prime Minister was put to death, the parliament was dissolved with a battery of artillery, and government of the people, by the people, for the people perished from Ghargaroo.

THESAURUS

opposition

adversary, adversity, agreement to disagree, alienation, allegory, analogy, antagonism, antagonist, antagonistic, anteposition, antipathy, antithesis, antithetical, apostasy, argumentation, arrest, arrestation, arrestment, assailant, at daggers drawn, averseness, aversion, backlash, backwardness, balancing, ban, blackball, blackballing, blockage, blocking, challenge, check, clashing, clogging, closing up, closure, collision, combatant, combative reaction, comparative anatomy, comparative degree, comparative grammar, comparative judgment, comparative linguistics, comparative literature, comparative method, compare, comparing, comparison, competing, competition, competitive, competitor, complaint, con, conflict, conflicting, confrontation, confrontment, confutation, constriction, contention, contradiction, contradistinction, contraindication, contraposition, contrariety, contrast, contrastiveness, controversy, correlation, counter-culture, counteraction, counterposition, counterworking, cramp, crankiness, cross-purposes, crotchetiness, cursoriness, defiance, delay, demur, departure, detainment, detention, deviation, difference, dim view, disaccord, disaccordance, disagreement, disappointment, disapprobation, disapproval, disconformity, discongruity, discontent, discontentedness, discontentment, discord, discordance, discordancy, discrepancy, discreteness, disenchantment, disesteem, disfavor, disgruntlement, disharmony, disillusion, disillusionment, disinclination, disobedience, disparity, displeasure, dispute, disrelish, disrespect, dissatisfaction, dissension, dissent, dissentience, dissidence, dissimilarity, dissonance, distaste, distinction, distinctiveness, distinctness, disunion, disunity, divergence, divergency, diversity, dropping out, enemy, exclusion, faction, far cry, fixation, flak, foe, foeman, foot-dragging, fractiousness, friction, grudging consent, grudgingness, hampering, heterogeneity, hindering, hindrance, holdback, holdup, hostile, hostility, impediment, in opposition, inaccordance, incompatibility, incongruity, inconsistency, inconsonance, indignation, indisposedness, indisposition, indocility, inequality, inharmoniousness, inharmony, inhibition, inimicalness, interference, interruption, intractableness, irreconcilability, jarring, kick, lack of enthusiasm, lack of zeal, let, likening, low estimation, low opinion, matching, metaphor, minority opinion, mixture, mutinousness, negation, negativism, nolition, nonagreement, nonassent, nonconcurrence, nonconformity, nonconsent, noncooperation, nuisance value, objection, obstinacy, obstruction, obstructionism, occlusion, odds, opponent, opposed, opposing, opposing party, opposite camp, oppositeness, opposure, oppugnance, oppugnancy, ostracism, other side, otherness, parallelism, passive resistance, perfunctoriness, perverseness, perversity, polar opposition, polarity, polarization, posing against, proportion, protest, reaction, rebuff, recalcitrance, recalcitrancy, recalcitration, recoil, recusance, recusancy, refractoriness, refusal, rejection, relation, reluctance, renitence, renitency, repellence, repellency, repercussion, repression, repudiation, repugnance, repulse, repulsion, resistance, restraint, restriction, retardation, retardment, revolt, rival, secession, separateness, setback, showdown, simile, similitude, slowness, squeeze, stand, stranglehold, stricture, stubbornness, sulk, sulkiness, sulks, sullenness, suppression, swimming upstream, the loyal opposition, the opposition, thumbs-down, trope of comparison, unconformity, uncooperativeness, underground, unenthusiasm, unfriendliness, unhappiness, unharmoniousness, unlikeness, unorthodoxy, unwillingness, variance, variation, variegation, variety, weighing, withdrawal, withstanding

ROGET THESAURUS

opposition

Opposition

N opposition, antagonism, oppugnancy, oppugnation, impugnation, contrariety, contravention, counteraction, counterplot, cross fire, undercurrent, head wind, clashing, collision, conflict, competition, two of a trade, rivalry, emulation, race, absence of aid, resistance, restraint, hindrance, opposing, opposed, adverse, antagonistic, contrary, at variance, at issue, at war with, unfavorable, unfriendly, hostile, inimical, cross, unpropitious, in hostile array, front to front, with crossed bayonets, at daggers drawn, up in arms, resistant, competitive, emulous, against, versus, counter to, in conflict with, at cross purposes, against the grain, against the current, against the stream, against the wind, against the tide, with a headwind, with the wind ahead, with the wind in one's teeth, in spite, in despite, in defiance, in the way, in the teeth of, in the face of, across, athwart, overthwart, where the shoe pinches, in spite of one's teeth, though, even, quand meme, per contra, nitor in adversum.

Opponent

N opponent, antagonist, adversary, adverse party, opposition, enemy, the other side, assailant, oppositionist, obstructive, brawler, wrangler, brangler, disputant, filibuster, obstructionist, malcontent, Jacobin, Fenian, demagogue, reactionist, rival, competitor, bete noir.

Resistance

N resistance, stand, front, oppugnation, oppugnancy, opposition, renitence, renitency, reluctation, recalcitration, kicking, repulse, rebuff, insurrection, strike, turn out, lock out, barring out, levee en masse, Jacquerie, riot, resisting, resistive, resistant, refractory, recalcitrant, renitent, up in arms, repulsive, repellant, proof against, unconquerable, stubborn, unconquered, indomitable, unyielding, Int, hands off!, keep off!.

Contention

N contention, strife, contest, contestation, struggle, belligerency, opposition, controversy, polemics, debate, war of words, logomachy, litigation, paper war, high words, sparring, competition, rivalry, corrivalry, corrivalship, agonism, concours, match, race, horse racing, heat, steeple chase, handicap, regatta, field day, sham fight, Derby day, turf, sporting, bullfight, tauromachy, gymkhana, boat race, torpids, wrestling, greco-roman wrestling, pugilism, boxing, fisticuffs, the manly art of self-defense, spar, mill, set-to, round, bout, event, prize fighting, quarterstaff, single stick, gladiatorship, gymnastics, jiujitsu, jujutsu, kooshti, sumo, athletics, athletic sports, games of skill, shindy, fracas, clash of arms, tussle, scuffle, broil, fray, affray, affrayment, velitation, colluctation, luctation, brabble, brigue, scramble, melee, scrimmage, stramash, bushfighting, free fight, stand up fight, hand to hand, running fight, conflict, skirmish, rencounter, encounter, rencontre, collision, affair, brush, fight, battle, battle royal, combat, action, engagement, joust, tournament, tilt, tilting, tournay, list, pitched battle, death struggle, struggle for life or death, life or death struggle, Armageddon, hard knocks, sharp contest, tug of war, naval engagement, naumachia, sea fight, duel, duello, single combat, monomachy, satisfaction, passage d'armes, passage of arms, affair of honor, triangular duel, hostile meeting, digladiation, deeds of arms, feats of arms, appeal to arms, pugnacity, combativeness, bone of contention, contending, together by the ears, at loggerheads, at war, at issue, competitive, rival, belligerent, contentious, combative, bellicose, unpeaceful, warlike, quarrelsome, pugnacious, pugilistic, gladiatorial, palestric, palestrical, a verbis ad verbera, a word and a blow, a very pretty quarrel as it stands, commune periculum concordiam parit, lis litem generat.

Counteraction

N counteraction, opposition, contrariety, antagonism, polarity, clashing, collision, interference, inhibition, resistance, renitency, friction, reaction, retroaction, counterblast, neutralization, vis inertiae, check, voluntary opposition &c, voluntary resistance, repression, opposites, action and reaction, yang and yin, yang-yin (contrariety), counteracting, antagonistic, conflicting, retroactive, renitent, reactionary, contrary, although, in spite of, against, for every action there is a reaction, equal in force and opposite in direction.

Contraposition

N contraposition, opposition, polarity, inversion, opposite side, reverse, inverse, counterpart, antipodes, opposite poles, North and South, antonym, opposite (contrariety), opposite, reverse, inverse, converse, antipodal, subcontrary, fronting, facing, diametrically opposite, Northern, septentrional, Boreal, arctic, Southern, Austral, antarctic, over, over the way, over against, against, face to face, vis-a- vis, as poles asunder.