adversarial
adjective
ad·ver·sar·i·al
ˌad-vər-ˈser-ē-əl 
ˌad-və-,
-ˈse-rē-
: involving two people or two sides who oppose each other : of, relating to, or characteristic of an adversary or adversary procedures (see adversary entry 2 sense 2)
an adversarial relationship
an adversarial system of justice with prosecution and defense opposing each other
Examples of adversarial in a Sentence
an adversarial system of justice with prosecution and defense opposing each other
the relationship between the president and the congress should not be adversarial if anything is to get done
Recent Examples on the Web
Sub-second block intervals demand tighter synchronization across the network, and the protocol’s behavior under sustained high-load, adversarial conditions remains largely untested.
—
Tomer Niv, Forbes.com, 29 May 2025
The risks presented by adversarial capital and the siloing of information are just two opportunities for the kind of public-private collaboration that could protect our biotech industry.
—Eric Schmidt, Time, 29 May 2025
On the other side is Turkey, which in recent years has adopted an increasingly adversarial stance toward Israel, and which this week signed a security alliance with Syria and Jordan.
—Taylor Luck, Christian Science Monitor, 16 May 2025
Recognizing the United States’ vulnerability to a rising and adversarial China, during his first term, President Donald Trump signed a series of executive orders to secure greater resilience across mining exploration, extraction, refining, production, and recycling.
—Heidi Crebo-Rediker, Foreign Affairs, 7 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for adversarial
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Tomer Niv, Forbes.com, 29 May 2025
The risks presented by adversarial capital and the siloing of information are just two opportunities for the kind of public-private collaboration that could protect our biotech industry.
—Eric Schmidt, Time, 29 May 2025
On the other side is Turkey, which in recent years has adopted an increasingly adversarial stance toward Israel, and which this week signed a security alliance with Syria and Jordan.
—Taylor Luck, Christian Science Monitor, 16 May 2025
Recognizing the United States’ vulnerability to a rising and adversarial China, during his first term, President Donald Trump signed a series of executive orders to secure greater resilience across mining exploration, extraction, refining, production, and recycling.
—Heidi Crebo-Rediker, Foreign Affairs, 7 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for adversarial
Cite this Entry
“Adversarial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/adversarial. Accessed 9 Jun. 2025.
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adversarial
adjective
ad·ver·sar·i·al
ˌad-vər-ˈser-ē-əl
: of, relating to, or characteristic of an adversary or adversary procedures : adversary
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