obverse 1 of 2

Definition of obversenext
as in opposite
something that is as different as possible from something else the new administration had promised peace and prosperity, but what we got was the obverse: war and recession

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

obverse

2 of 2

adjective

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of obverse
Noun
Kraft noted that the coin's obverse was identical to the 1806 British coinage, while the reverse was unique to the Bahamas. David Faris, Newsweek, 27 Feb. 2025 According to one estimate, 96 percent of the world’s population speaks just four percent of all languages, which means that the striking obverse is also true: just four percent of the world’s population speaks 96 percent of all languages. Ross Perlin, Foreign Affairs, 23 Apr. 2024
Adjective
The obverse side of the communications coin is that without TLS encryption, that information is there for anyone to sniff out. Davey Winder, Forbes, 3 Jan. 2025 The obverse side will still feature the portrait of former President George Washington by Laura Gardin Fraser. Jordan D. Brown, Baltimore Sun, 3 Aug. 2023 See All Example Sentences for obverse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for obverse
Noun
  • And then however the world works, the opposite happened.
    Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 30 Apr. 2026
  • Well, this is kind of like the opposite.
    Caleb Jacobs, The Drive, 30 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • And there is a non-FHA reverse second loan available for 55-and-older homeowners who don’t want to lose their low interest rate first mortgage.
    Jeff Lazerson, Oc Register, 30 Apr. 2026
  • There have also been reverse trajectories.
    Clayton Davis, Variety, 29 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • Another finding of the study was the inverse correlation between zinc uptake in the stinger and the claws.
    Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 1 May 2026
  • In the lottery, the first four positions are determined by the weighted drawing, with the remainder of the selections then reverting to inverse order of record.
    Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 15 Apr. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

“Obverse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obverse. Accessed 7 May. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster