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
Trump has repeatedly expressed support for the protest movement and called for an end to Iran’s Islamist regime, which has long been adversarial to the US.
—
Mitchell McCluskey, CNN Money, 12 Jan. 2026
Trump’s Department of Energy — which has been adversarial toward renewables such as wind and solar — urged California to accept that deal.
—Los Angeles Times, 11 Jan. 2026
Senior leaders often have to navigate relationships with difficult, skeptical, or even adversarial board members.
—Rachel Durose, Harvard Business Review, 7 Jan. 2026
Saturday’s announcement also raises questions about whether the administration will plan similar actions in other adversarial countries, like Cuba.
—Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 3 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for adversarial
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Mitchell McCluskey, CNN Money, 12 Jan. 2026
Trump’s Department of Energy — which has been adversarial toward renewables such as wind and solar — urged California to accept that deal.
—Los Angeles Times, 11 Jan. 2026
Senior leaders often have to navigate relationships with difficult, skeptical, or even adversarial board members.
—Rachel Durose, Harvard Business Review, 7 Jan. 2026
Saturday’s announcement also raises questions about whether the administration will plan similar actions in other adversarial countries, like Cuba.
—Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 3 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for adversarial
Cite this Entry
“Adversarial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/adversarial. Accessed 19 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
adversarial
adjective
ad·ver·sar·i·al
ˌad-vər-ˈser-ē-əl
: involving two people or two sides who oppose each other
Legal Definition
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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