opponent

noun op·po·nent \ ə-ˈpō-nənt \

Updated on: 11 Apr 2018

Definition of opponent

1 : one that takes an opposite position (as in a debate, contest, or conflict)

She is a formidable opponent in the race for senator.

opponents of the war

2 : a muscle that opposes or counteracts and limits the action of another

See opponent defined for English-language learners

See opponent defined for kids

Examples of opponent in a Sentence

She is a formidable opponent in the race for senator.
The team's opponents have not lost a game this season.
He knocked out his opponent in the third round.

Recent Examples of opponent from the Web

But for those scoring at home, my preferences for the Heat's first-round opponents of the remaining possibilities would be, in this order: 1.

— ira winderman, Sun-Sentinel.com, "ASK IRA: Heat still control No. 6, but is No. 7 now more in play?," 7 Apr. 2018
Thousands of both pro- and anti-Lula protesters rallied in cities around the country on Tuesday and Wednesday, with opponents of the ex-president setting off fireworks as the result turned against him.

— Bloomberg.com, "Prison Awaits Brazil’s Iconic Ex-President Lula After Court Loss," 5 Apr. 2018
Some opponents of women ministers quoted Paul's first letter to Timothy in the New Testament to argue against women in the pulpit.

— greg garrison, AL.com, "Barbara Harper quietly blazed trail: first woman Methodist district leader," 5 Apr. 2018
Nye believes a gas tax hike could be in the works because the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, a staunch opponent of tax increases, is actually advocating for it.

— susie gharib, Fortune, "Martin Marietta CEO Optimistic on Trump's Infrastructure Plan," 4 Apr. 2018
Even ardent opponents of payday lenders acknowledge that banks and credit unions do a poor job supplying credit to underprivileged communities.

— lawrence mower, miamiherald, "These pastors had a message, but it wasn’t the gospel. They lobbied for payday loans. | Miami Herald," 4 Apr. 2018
Less than a decade later, GOP opponents of Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry launched a successful ad blitz to distort his war record and undermine his campaign.

— gregory krieg, CNN, "When MLK turned on Vietnam, even liberal 'allies' turned on him," 4 Apr. 2018
Noteworthy, too, is the fact that Baker, the nation’s most popular governor, is often a vocal opponent of the policies of President Trump.

— james pindell, BostonGlobe.com, "Democratic candidates for governor aren’t getting much help from party leaders against Baker," 4 Apr. 2018
Injuries haven’t helped either, but Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton, Eric Bledsoe and Jabari Parker create enough offense to give opponents problems.

— jeff zillgitt, USA TODAY, "Viewer's guide to Eastern Conference playoff race: Raptors, Celtics still fighting for No. 1 seed," 2 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'opponent.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of opponent

borrowed from Medieval Latin oppōnent-, oppōnens "one who proposes something for discussion," from present participle of Latin oppōnere "to place as an obstacle, set in opposition to, argue in reply" — more at oppose

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1553

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

opponent Synonyms

opponent

adjective

Definition of opponent

1 : antagonistic, opposing

2 : situated in front

Recent Examples of opponent from the Web

The Colts rank fourth in the NFL in opponent kickoff-return average, a product of Sanchez’s savvy as a kickoff specialist.

— stephen holder, Indianapolis Star, "Colts' thumbs up, down: Jack Doyle, Jabaal Sheard starred this season," 1 Jan. 2018
The Lady Rams sank 85.7% (6-7) of their free throws and lost a Badgers-opponent season-high 26 turnovers to a season-high 14 steals by SHC.

— spring hill college athletics, AL.com, "Spring Hill women continue to roll with 73-46 win over Mobile," 24 Jan. 2018
Milwaukee has cut opponent three-point attempts from 27.4 per game in the first 18 contests to 23.3 in the past seven.

— matt velazquez, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Bucks are on a roll since getting back to basics in Berkeley," 10 Dec. 2017
His style is more along the lines of Floyd Mayweather Jr. — avoid contact, make the opponent look bad and win on points — which, to fans who thrive on continuous action and massive fistic exchanges, does not sit well.

— bob velin, USA TODAY, "Lomachenko vs. Rigondeaux: Historic fight with great expectations," 8 Dec. 2017
Another highlight on the slate is a trip to Tuscon, Ariz., to play Pac-12 opponent Arizona on Dec. 3.

— tod leonard, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Bahamas trip included in schedule for SDSU women's basketball," 9 Aug. 2017
Milpitas was scheduled to host Mission San Jose at SummitPointe Golf Course on Wednesday and to play league opponent Wilcox at Santa Clara Golf and Tennis Club on Thursday.

— julian ramos, The Mercury News, "Milpitas: Trojans baseball tops Branham High," 23 Mar. 2017

Origin and Etymology of opponent

borrowed from Latin oppōnent-, oppōnens, present participle of oppōnere "to place as an obstacle, set in opposition to, argue in reply" — more at oppose

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1647

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

OPPONENT Defined for English Language Learners

opponent

noun

Definition of opponent for English Language Learners

: a person, team, group, etc., that is competing against another in a contest
: a person, group, etc., that is against something (such as an action, law, or system) : someone or something that does not want something to exist, be done, etc.