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
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
Trump’s focus on Venezuela and the Maduro raid Suffice to say that the relationship between the United States and Venezuela has been complicated, even adversarial, for decades.
—Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 17 Mar. 2026
Mamdani and Menin have assumed slightly adversarial positions in the first months of their leadership, and swiping her top budget staffer during tense negotiations over the city’s budget could serve to add another layer of stress to the relationship.
—Josephine Stratman, New York Daily News, 16 Mar. 2026
Such a distinction had only ever applied to infrastructure firms, like Huawei or Kaspersky Labs, with ties to adversarial foreign governments, and there was no domestic precedent.
—Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 14 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for adversarial
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Julian Baron, Baltimore Sun, 18 Mar. 2026
Trump’s focus on Venezuela and the Maduro raid Suffice to say that the relationship between the United States and Venezuela has been complicated, even adversarial, for decades.
—Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 17 Mar. 2026
Mamdani and Menin have assumed slightly adversarial positions in the first months of their leadership, and swiping her top budget staffer during tense negotiations over the city’s budget could serve to add another layer of stress to the relationship.
—Josephine Stratman, New York Daily News, 16 Mar. 2026
Such a distinction had only ever applied to infrastructure firms, like Huawei or Kaspersky Labs, with ties to adversarial foreign governments, and there was no domestic precedent.
—Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 14 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 22 Mar. 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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