different between contrary vs alternative
contrary
English
Etymology
From Middle English contrarie, compare French contraire, from Old French contraire, from Latin contr?rius (“opposite, opposed, contrary”), from contr? (“against”).
Pronunciation
- (UK) IPA(key): /?k?nt???i/, /k?n?t????i/
- (US) IPA(key): /?k?nt???i/
- Rhymes: -???i (some pronunciations)
Adjective
contrary (comparative more contrary, superlative most contrary)
- Opposite; in an opposite direction; in opposition; adverse.
- Opposed; contradictory; inconsistent.
- 1837, William Whewell, History of the Inductive Sciences
- The doctrine of the earth's motion appeared to be contrary to the sacred Scripture.
- 1837, William Whewell, History of the Inductive Sciences
- Given to opposition; perverse; wayward.
Derived terms
Translations
Adverb
contrary (comparative more contrary, superlative most contrary)
- Contrarily
Noun
contrary (plural contraries)
- The opposite.
- (logic) One of a pair of propositions that cannot both be simultaneously true, though they may both be false.
- 1725, Isaac Watts, Logick, or The Right Use of Reason in the Enquiry After Truth With a Variety of Rules to Guard
- If two universals differ in quality, they are contraries; as, every vine is a tree; no vine is a tree. These can never be both true together; but they may be both false.
- 1725, Isaac Watts, Logick, or The Right Use of Reason in the Enquiry After Truth With a Variety of Rules to Guard
Synonyms
- witherward
Derived terms
- by contraries
- on the contrary
- to the contrary
Related terms
- (logic): subcontrary
- contrarian
Translations
Verb
contrary (third-person singular simple present contraries, present participle contrarying, simple past and past participle contraried)
- (obsolete) To oppose; to frustrate.
- April 19 1549, Hugh Latimer, seventh sermon preached before King Edward VI
- [I was advised] not to contrary the king.
- April 19 1549, Hugh Latimer, seventh sermon preached before King Edward VI
- (obsolete) To impugn.
- (obsolete) To contradict (someone or something).
- (obsolete) To do the opposite of (someone or something).
- (obsolete) To act inconsistently or perversely; to act in opposition to.
- (obsolete) To argue; to debate; to uphold an opposite opinion.
- (obsolete) To be self-contradictory; to become reversed.
Translations
Related terms
- contra
- counter
References
- contrary in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
- contrary in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
- contrary at OneLook Dictionary Search
- John A. Simpson and Edward S. C. Weiner, editors (1989) , “contrary”, in The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd edition, Oxford: Clarendon Press, ?ISBN
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alternative
English
Etymology
From Middle French alternatif, from Medieval Latin altern?t?vus (“alternating”), from the participle stem of Latin altern? (“interchange, alternate”). Compare alternate.
Pronunciation
- (UK) IPA(key): /?l.?t??(?).n?.t?v/
- (US) IPA(key): /?l.?t?.n?.t?v/
- (cot–caught merger) IPA(key): /?l.?t?.n?.t?v/
Adjective
alternative (not comparable)
- Relating to a choice between two or more possibilities.
- (linguistics) Presenting two or more alternatives.
- Synonym: disjunctive
- Other; different from something else.
- Not traditional, outside the mainstream, underground.
- alternative medicine; alternative lifestyle; alternative rock
- (obsolete) Alternate, reciprocal.
Derived terms
Related terms
Translations
Noun
alternative (plural alternatives)
- A situation which allows a mutually exclusive choice between two or more possibilities; a choice between two or more possibilities. [from 17th c.]
- 1817, Walter Scott, Rob Roy, XI:
- ‘The cloister or a betrothed husband?’ I echoed—‘Is that the alternative destined for Miss Vernon?’
- 1817, Walter Scott, Rob Roy, XI:
- One of several mutually exclusive things which can be chosen. [from 17th c.]
- 1803, Chief Justice John Marshall, Marbury v. Madison[1]:
- Between these alternatives there is no middle ground. The Constitution is either a superior, paramount law, unchangeable by ordinary means, or it is on a level with ordinary legislative acts, and, like other acts, is alterable when the legislature shall please to alter it.
- 1803, Chief Justice John Marshall, Marbury v. Madison[1]:
- The remaining option; something available after other possibilities have been exhausted. [from 18th c.]
- (uncountable, music) alternative rock
Synonyms
- See also Thesaurus:option
Translations
See also
- variant
References
- alternative in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
- alternative in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
Esperanto
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /alterna?tive/
- Rhymes: -ive
Adverb
alternative
- alternatively
French
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /al.t??.na.tiv/
- Homophone: alternatives
Adjective
alternative
- feminine singular of alternatif
Noun
alternative f (plural alternatives)
- alternative
Further reading
- “alternative” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).
German
Pronunciation
Adjective
alternative
- inflection of alternativ:
- strong/mixed nominative/accusative feminine singular
- strong nominative/accusative plural
- weak nominative all-gender singular
- weak accusative feminine/neuter singular
Italian
Pronunciation
- Rhymes: -ive
Adjective
alternative
- feminine plural of alternativo
Noun
alternative f
- plural of alternativa
Anagrams
- alternatevi
Latin
Pronunciation
- (Classical) IPA(key): /al.ter.na??ti?.u?e/, [ä??t??rnä??t?i?u??]
- (Ecclesiastical) IPA(key): /al.ter.na?ti.ve/, [?l?t??rn??t?i?v?]
Adjective
altern?t?ve
- vocative masculine singular of altern?t?vus
Norwegian Bokmål
Adjective
alternative
- inflection of alternativ:
- definite singular
- plural
Norwegian Nynorsk
Adjective
alternative
- inflection of alternativ:
- definite singular
- plural
Swedish
Adjective
alternative
- absolute definite natural masculine form of alternativ.
alternative From the web:
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- what alternatives are there to facebook
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