the contrary
noun
: an opposite or different fact, event, or situation
He was sure his sister had made a mistake, but the contrary was true: she was right and he was wrong.
Examples of the contrary in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Public-facing materials and media narratives frequently frame weight as evidence of a lack of willpower to resist fatty and sugary foods — despite evidence to the contrary.
—
Time, 19 Dec. 2025
On the contrary, by allowing Washington to disengage politically and militarily from Yemen, the truce has given the Houthis an opportunity to escalate its battles against its internal and regional enemies at a lower cost.
—April Longley Alley, Foreign Affairs, 18 Dec. 2025
Many of Kennedy's committee members criticized the vaccine as unsafe, despite decades of evidence to the contrary.
—Kristen Jordan Shamus, Freep.com, 16 Dec. 2025
Working with other researchers on the recent national poll has shown her how often older adults feel that they are not disabled despite ample evidence to the contrary.
—Paula Span, Miami Herald, 15 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for the contrary
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Time, 19 Dec. 2025
On the contrary, by allowing Washington to disengage politically and militarily from Yemen, the truce has given the Houthis an opportunity to escalate its battles against its internal and regional enemies at a lower cost.
—April Longley Alley, Foreign Affairs, 18 Dec. 2025
Many of Kennedy's committee members criticized the vaccine as unsafe, despite decades of evidence to the contrary.
—Kristen Jordan Shamus, Freep.com, 16 Dec. 2025
Working with other researchers on the recent national poll has shown her how often older adults feel that they are not disabled despite ample evidence to the contrary.
—Paula Span, Miami Herald, 15 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for the contrary
Cite this Entry
“The contrary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20contrary. Accessed 31 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share