Search

a person, group, or force that opposes or attacks; opponent; enemy; foe.
a person, group, etc., that is an opponent in a contest; contestant.
the Adversary, the devil; Satan.
of or relating to an adversary.
involving adversaries, as plaintiff and defendant in a legal proceeding:
an adversary trial.
Contemporary Examples

The rapport between Majority Leader Harry Reid and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is as distant as it is adversarial, Snowe says.
Olympia Snowe on Her New Book, Overcoming Partisanship & More Lloyd Grove May 14, 2013

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie really believes in “adversarial” collective bargaining.
February 27: 7 Best Moments From Sunday Talk The Daily Beast Video February 26, 2011

That question should be decided by the federal courts with adversarial representation.
Pentagon Papers’ James C. Goodale: The Outrageous NSA Opinion James C. Goodale September 18, 2013

The group might have condemned violence while still maintaining an adversarial relationship with the police force.
De Blasio and the New York City Protesters Have No Blood on Their Hands Jacob Siegel December 21, 2014

Despite his personal point of view, May did not take bring an adversarial approach to his interviews with the two judges.
‘Kids for Cash’: Crooked Judge, Damaged Teens, and the Perils of Zero Tolerance Ronald K. Fried February 24, 2014

You are talking here about this idea of “adversarial design.”
The Internet Won’t Save Us: Evgeny Morozov’s Stand Against Technology Solutionism Robert Herritt March 4, 2013

The idea for having an adversarial presence at Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court hearings is potentially even a bigger deal.
Obama Is Giving Up Some Executive Power, and He’ll Still Get No Credit Michael Tomasky August 11, 2013

I think we are going to have the most adversarial relationship with those entities of any media outlet with a profile.
The Skunk at the Oscar Party David Freedlander February 25, 2014

Historical Examples

Moral individualism succeeds or fails within a framework of adversarial human relations.
The Civilization of Illiteracy Mihai Nadin

Competition often degenerates into an adversarial relation and conflict.
The Civilization of Illiteracy Mihai Nadin

adjective
pertaining to or characterized by antagonism and conflict
(Brit) having or involving opposing parties or interests in a legal contest US term adversary
noun (pl) -saries
a person or group that is hostile to someone; enemy
an opposing contestant in a game or sport
adjective
the US term for adversarial (sense 2)
adj.

by 1892, from adversary + -al (1). Probably coined to avoid confusion which might arise with use of adversary (adj.), which is attested from late 14c. Related: Adversarially.
n.

mid-14c., aduersere, from Anglo-French adverser (13c.), Old French adversaire “adversary, opponent, enemy,” or directly from Latin adversarius “opponent, adversary, rival,” noun use of adjective meaning “opposite, hostile, contrary,” literally “turned toward one,” from adversus “turned against” (see adverse). The Latin word is glossed in Old English by wiðerbroca.

(Heb. satan), an opponent or foe (1 Kings 5:4; 11:14, 23, 25; Luke 13:17); one that speaks against another, a complainant (Matt. 5:25; Luke 12:58); an enemy (Luke 18:3), and specially the devil (1 Pet. 5:8).