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
Information-sharing by US AI companies about adversarial distillation echoes a standard practice in the cybersecurity industry, where firms regularly swap data on attacks and adversaries’ tactics as a way to strengthen network defenses.
—
Bloomberg, Mercury News, 7 Apr. 2026
As a result, the system continued to function effectively despite the presence of adversarial behavior, demonstrating the framework’s potential to improve resilience in real-world applications, according to a press release.
—Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 6 Apr. 2026
Chavez said the union has been ground up by the system - conservative politicians, hostile growers and an adversarial state Agricultural Labor Relations Board - created in 1975 in response to the growing influence of the farmworkers movement.
—Marcos Breton, Sacbee.com, 24 Mar. 2026
Make no mistake, there are journalists working today who take that charge as seriously as Wallace ever did and show up every day committed to the uncomfortable, adversarial craft that once defined the profession.
—Julian Baron, Baltimore Sun, 18 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for adversarial
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Bloomberg, Mercury News, 7 Apr. 2026
As a result, the system continued to function effectively despite the presence of adversarial behavior, demonstrating the framework’s potential to improve resilience in real-world applications, according to a press release.
—Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 6 Apr. 2026
Chavez said the union has been ground up by the system - conservative politicians, hostile growers and an adversarial state Agricultural Labor Relations Board - created in 1975 in response to the growing influence of the farmworkers movement.
—Marcos Breton, Sacbee.com, 24 Mar. 2026
Make no mistake, there are journalists working today who take that charge as seriously as Wallace ever did and show up every day committed to the uncomfortable, adversarial craft that once defined the profession.
—Julian Baron, Baltimore Sun, 18 Mar. 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 Apr. 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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