different between contrary vs complementary

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)

1. Opposite; in an opposite direction; in opposition; adverse.
2. 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.

3. Given to opposition; perverse; wayward.

Derived terms

Translations

Adverb

contrary (comparative more contrary, superlative most contrary)

1. Contrarily

Noun

contrary (plural contraries)

1. The opposite.
2. (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.

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)

1. (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.
2. (obsolete) To impugn.
3. (obsolete) To contradict (someone or something).
4. (obsolete) To do the opposite of (someone or something).
5. (obsolete) To act inconsistently or perversely; to act in opposition to.
6. (obsolete) To argue; to debate; to uphold an opposite opinion.
7. (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

English

Etymology

complement +? -ary

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?k?mpl???m?nt(?)?i/
• (General American) enPR: k?m'pl?-m?n?t?-r?, -tr?, IPA^(key): /?k?mpl???m?nt(?)?i/
• Homophone: complimentary
• Rhymes: -?nt??i, -?nt?i
• Hyphenation: com?ple?men?ta?ry

Adjective

complementary (comparative more complementary, superlative most complementary)

1. Acting as a complement; making up a whole with something else.

   • Using the terminology we intro-
     duced earlier, we might then say that black and white squares are in comple-
     mentary distribution on a chess-board. By this we mean two things: firstly,
     black squares and white squares occupy different positions on the board: and
     secondly, the black and white squares complement each other in the sense that
     the black squares together with the white squares comprise the total set of 64
     squares found on the board (i.e. there is no square on the board which is not
     either black or white).

2. (genetics) Of the specific pairings of the bases in DNA and RNA.
3. (physics) Pertaining to pairs of properties in quantum mechanics that are inversely related to each other, such as speed and position, or energy and time. (See also Heisenberg uncertainty principle.)

Usage notes

• Complementary and complimentary are frequently confused and misused in place of one another.

Derived terms

Related terms

• complemental

Translations

Noun

complementary (plural complementaries)

1. A complementary colour.
2. (obsolete) One skilled in compliments.
3. An angle which adds with another to equal 90 degrees.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Ben Jonson to this entry?)

Translations

Further reading

• complementary in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• complementary in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.