oppose

verb

op·pose | \ ə-ˈpōz

opposed; opposing

Definition of oppose

1 : to place over against something so as to provide resistance, counterbalance, or contrast one military force opposed to another concreteness as opposed to abstraction— L. E. Lynch

2 : to place opposite or against something oppose the enemy oppose a congressional bill

3 : to offer resistance to

Other Words from oppose Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about oppose

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Choose the Right Synonym for oppose

oppose, combat, resist, withstand mean to set oneself against someone or something. oppose can apply to any conflict, from mere objection to bitter hostility or warfare. opposed the plan combat stresses the forceful or urgent countering of something. combat disease resist implies an overt recognition of a hostile or threatening force and a positive effort to counteract or repel it. resisting temptation withstand suggests a more passive resistance. trying to withstand peer pressure

Examples of oppose in a Sentence

The governor opposes the death penalty. The change is opposed by many of the town's business leaders. The group opposes the mayor and is trying to find a candidate to run against her. You've opposed every suggestion I've made. He met the man who will oppose him in the next election. These two teams opposed each other in last year's playoffs. We're hoping we can get more senators to oppose the legislation.

Recent Examples on the Web

Both have defenses that no opposing quarterback wants to face. — Andrew Beaton, WSJ, "The Two NFL Teams Nobody Wants to Play Are Playing Each Other," 5 Jan. 2019 Started in 2008 as a response to legacy helicopters crashing in Iraq and Afghanistan, the goal was to develop an entirely new rotorcraft system, as opposed to just continually upgrading Black Hawks and Apaches. — David Grossman, Popular Mechanics, "Will the Defiant Be the Helicopter That Finally Replaces the Black Hawk?," 26 Dec. 2018 The strong get stronger; the weak get weaker Microsoft's decision both gives Google an ever-larger slice of the pie and weakens Microsoft's position as an opposing voice. — Peter Bright, Ars Technica, "Google isn’t the company that we should have handed the Web over to," 17 Dec. 2018 Doll’s staff also knows that opposing coaches are inclined to work the ball up the middle rather than take risks near the shutdown corners. — Steve Reaven, chicagotribune.com, "Carson Kosonovich, Donovan Perkins still shutting the door in New Trier secondary," 14 July 2018 James marveled at the symmetry in this final showdown, but both players said their times together meant a whole lot more than their times in opposing uniforms. — Greg Beacham, The Seattle Times, "Wade, James embrace final chance to compete on court," 11 Dec. 2018 YouTube has gone on the offensive over the last month to garner support in opposing the EU’s copyright directive. — Julia Alexander, The Verge, "YouTube CEO calls EU’s proposed copyright regulation financially impossible," 12 Nov. 2018 When these bones are connected as opposed to separated, your range of rotation is quite limited. — Sarah Valenzuela, SELF, "My Congenital Disorder Confuses a Lot of Trainers, So I Have to Be My Own Fitness Expert," 9 Nov. 2018 No financial contributions have been given to oppose this amendment. — Cady Drell, Marie Claire, "Environmental Measures on the 2018 Midterm Election Ballots You Should Know About," 18 Oct. 2018

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

History and Etymology for oppose

Middle English opposen "to question, examine, accuse" (as past participle opposed "opposite, contrary"), borrowed from Anglo-French opposer "to counter, argue in opposition, question, interrogate," re-formation, with poser "to place, pose entry 1," of Latin oppōnere (perfect opposuī, past participle oppositus) "to place (over or against), place as an obstacle, set in opposition to, argue in reply," from ob- ob- + pōnere "to place, set" — more at position entry 1