contrary: [14] Contrary originated as a Latin adjectival formation based on the preposition contrā ‘against’, which historically was a derivative of com or cum ‘with’. Latin contrārius passed into English via Old French contraire and Anglo-Norman contrarie. Originally contrary was pronounced with the main stress on its middle syllable, but this survives only in the sense ‘obstinately self-willed’; from the 18th century onwards, the stress has usually been placed on the first syllable.
contrary (adj.)
mid-14c., from Anglo-French contrarie, from Latin contrarius "opposite, opposed," from contra "against" (see contra).
If we take the statement All men are mortal, its contrary is Not all men are mortal, its converse is All mortal beings are men, & its opposite is No men are mortal. The contrary, however, does not exclude the opposite, but includes it as its most extreme form. Thus This is white has only one opposite, This is black, but many contraries, as This is not white, This is coloured, This is dirty, This is black; & whether the last form is called the contrary, or more emphatically the opposite, is usually indifferent. But to apply the opposite to a mere contrary (e.g. to I did not hit him in relation to I hit him, which has no opposite), or to the converse (e.g. to He hit me in relation to I hit him, to which it is neither contrary nor opposite), is a looseness that may easily result in misunderstanding; the temptation to go wrong is intelligible when it is remembered that with certain types of sentence (A exceeds B) the converse & the opposite are identical (B exceeds A). [Fowler]
As a noun from late 13c. Related: Contrarily; contrariwise.
实用例句
1. Several of those present, including Weinberger, had contrary information.
几个在场的人，包括温博格，所掌握的信息截然不同。
来自柯林斯例句
2. Dena looked appealingly at Blair, hoping to hear a contrary opinion.
德娜恳切地看着布莱尔，希望听到相反的观点。
来自柯林斯例句
3. Contrary to popular belief, moderate exercise actually decreases your appetite.
与通常的看法相反，适度的运动事实上会降低食欲。
来自柯林斯例句
4. Contrary to the popular myth, women are not reckless spendthrifts.
和人们的普遍观念恰恰相反，女性并不是胡乱挥霍者。
来自柯林斯例句
5. Contrary to what you might think, neither man was offended.
