# contra
## English
### Etymology

Ultimately from Latin contrā.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈkɒntɹə/
* Audio (US):(file)

### Preposition

contra
* Against; contrary or opposed to; in opposition or contrast to.

#### Synonyms

* against, anti

#### Antonyms

* for, pro

#### Related terms

* contra-
* contra proferentem
* per contra
* semen contra

#### Translations
### Adverb

contra (comparative more contra, superlative most contra)
* Contrary to something.
** 1893 November 30, “The W.C.T.U. Convention. Interesting Reports Considered in Relation to the Several Departments of the Work. Suggested Lines of Development—Programme for the Closing Day.”, in The Daily Colonist, volume LXX, number 148, Victoria, B.C., page 3, column 1:[…] it is useless to pray “Thy kingdom come” and vote contra or stay away from the polls; […]

#### Synonyms

* See also Thesaurus:contrarily

#### Translations
### Noun

contra (plural contras)
* (business) A deal to swap goods or services.
* (politics, derogatory) A conservative; originally tied to Nicaraguan counter-revolutionaries.
* (accounting, often attributive) An entry (or account) that cancels another entry (or account).
    Synonym: counterentry
    a contra position; a contra entry
    The sum for each contra account is shown in the last column.
* (music, informal) Any of the musical instruments in the contrabass range, e.g. contrabassoon, contrabass clarinet or, especially, double bass.
* (dance) A contra dance.
* (obsolete, US, New England, dance) A country dance.
** 2001, Ellen Koskoff, editor, The Garland Encyclopedia of World Music: North America, Garland Publishing, page 232:Folk histories record that contras were gradually displaced by the introduction of the quadrille and the new couple dances.

#### Derived terms

* anticontra

#### Translations
### Verb

contra (third-person singular simple present contras, no present participle, no simple past or past participle)
* (accounting) To undo; to reverse.
    to contra a position (an entry)

#### Translations
### Anagrams

* Cantor, Carnot, Carton, Catron, TRACON, cantor, carton, corant, craton, tracon

## Asturian
### Etymology

From Latin contrā.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈkontɾa/ [ˈkõn̪.t̪ɾa]
* Rhymes: -ontɾa
* Hyphenation: con‧tra

### Preposition

contra
* alongside, beside, next to
    Synonym: xunto
* forward, in front
    Synonym: delantre
* against (reduced)
    Synonym: escontra

#### Related terms

* escontra

### Interjection

¡contra!
* interjection of exclamation or anger
    Synonyms: carape, meca

## Catalan
### Etymology

Inherited from Latin contrā.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: (Central, Balearic) [ˈkɔn.tɾə]
* IPA: (Valencia) [ˈkon.tɾa]
* Audio (Barcelona):(file)
* Rhymes: -ɔntɾa
* Hyphenation: con‧tra

### Adverb

contra
* against
** 2009, Jean Grave, Les Aventures d'en Nono:Més endavant, va parlar contra la gent sense famíliaBut before, he spoke against people without family

### Noun

contra m (plural contres)
* con (disadvantage)
    Antonym: pro

#### Related terms

* contra-
* contrari

### Further reading

* “contra” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
* “contra”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2025
* “contra” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
* “contra” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.

## Dalmatian
### Etymology

From Latin contrā.

### Adverb

contra
* against

### References

* Bartoli, Matteo (1906) Il Dalmatico: Resti di un’antica lingua romanza parlata da Veglia a Ragusa e sua collocazione nella Romània appenino-balcanica, Rome: Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana, published 2000

## Finnish
### Etymology

From Spanish contra.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈkontrɑ/, [ˈko̞n̪.t̪rɑ̝]
* Rhymes: -ontrɑ

### Noun

contra
* Contra (anti-Sandinista fighter)

#### Declension

Possessive forms of contra (Kotus type 10/koira, no gradation) :
first-person singular possessor
singular
plural
nominative
contrani
contrani
accusative
nom.
contrani
contrani
gen.
contrani
genitive
contrani
contrieni contraini $^{rare}$
partitive
contraani
contriani
inessive
contrassani
contrissani
elative
contrastani
contristani
illative
contraani
contriini
adessive
contrallani
contrillani
ablative
contraltani
contriltani
allative
contralleni
contrilleni
essive
contranani
contrinani
translative
contrakseni
contrikseni
abessive
contrattani
contrittani
instructive
comitative
—contrineni
second-person singular possessor
singular
plural
nominative
contrasi
contrasi
accusative
nom.
contrasi
contrasi
gen.
contrasi
genitive
contrasi
contriesi contraisi $^{rare}$
partitive
contraasi
contriasi
inessive
contrassasi
contrissasi
elative
contrastasi
contristasi
illative
contraasi
contriisi
adessive
contrallasi
contrillasi
ablative
contraltasi
contriltasi
allative
contrallesi
contrillesi
essive
contranasi
contrinasi
translative
contraksesi
contriksesi
abessive
contrattasi
contrittasi
instructive
comitative
—contrinesi
first-person plural possessor
singular
plural
nominative
contramme
contramme
accusative
nom.
contramme
contramme
gen.
contramme
genitive
contramme
contriemme contraimme $^{rare}$
partitive
contraamme
contriamme
inessive
contrassamme
contrissamme
elative
contrastamme
contristamme
illative
contraamme
contriimme
adessive
contrallamme
contrillamme
ablative
contraltamme
contriltamme
allative
contrallemme
contrillemme
essive
contranamme
contrinamme
translative
contraksemme
contriksemme
abessive
contrattamme
contrittamme
instructive
comitative
—contrinemme
second-person plural possessor
singular
plural
nominative
contranne
contranne
accusative
nom.
contranne
contranne
gen.
contranne
genitive
contranne
contrienne contrainne $^{rare}$
partitive
contraanne
contrianne
inessive
contrassanne
contrissanne
elative
contrastanne
contristanne
illative
contraanne
contriinne
adessive
contrallanne
contrillanne
ablative
contraltanne
contriltanne
allative
contrallenne
contrillenne
essive
contrananne
contrinanne
translative
contraksenne
contriksenne
abessive
contrattanne
contrittanne
instructive
comitative
—contrinenne
third-person possessor
singular
plural
nominative
contransa
contransa
accusative
nom.
contransa
contransa
gen.
contransa
genitive
contransa
contriensa contrainsa $^{rare}$
partitive
contraansa
contriaan contriansa
inessive
contrassaan contrassansa
contrissaan contrissansa
elative
contrastaan contrastansa
contristaan contristansa
illative
contraansa
contriinsa
adessive
contrallaan contrallansa
contrillaan contrillansa
ablative
contraltaan contraltansa
contriltaan contriltansa
allative
contralleen contrallensa
contrilleen contrillensa
essive
contranaan contranansa
contrinaan contrinansa
translative
contrakseen contraksensa
contrikseen contriksensa
abessive
contrattaan contrattansa
contrittaan contrittansa
instructive
comitative
—contrineen contrinensa :

#### Synonyms

* contrasissi

#### Derived terms

* contrasissi

### Further reading

* “contra”, in Kielitoimiston sanakirja [Dictionary of Contemporary Finnish]‎ (in Finnish) (online dictionary, continuously updated), Kotimaisten kielten keskuksen verkkojulkaisuja 35, Helsinki: Kotimaisten kielten tutkimuskeskus (Institute for the Languages of Finland), 2004–, retrieved 2023-07-02

## French
### Pronunciation

* Audio:(file)

### Verb

contra
* third-person singular past historic of contrer

### Anagrams

* carton

## Galician
### Etymology

From Latin contrā.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈkontɾa/ [ˈkon̪.t̪ɾɐ]
* Rhymes: -ontɾa
* Hyphenation: con‧tra

### Preposition

contra
* against

#### Derived terms

* contra de
* pola contra

### Noun

contra f (plural contras)
* (usually in the plural) shutter

### References

* Ernesto Xosé González Seoane, María Álvarez de la Granja, Ana Isabel Boullón Agrelo (2006–2022) “contra”, in Dicionario de Dicionarios do galego medieval (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
* Xavier Varela Barreiro, Xavier Gómez Guinovart (2006–2018) “contra”, in Corpus Xelmírez - Corpus lingüístico da Galicia medieval (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
* Antón Luís Santamarina Fernández, editor (2006–2013), “contra”, in Dicionario de Dicionarios da lingua galega [Dictionary of Dictionaries of the Galician language] (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
* Antón Luís Santamarina Fernández, Ernesto Xosé González Seoane, María Álvarez de la Granja, editors (2003–2018), “contra”, in Tesouro informatizado da lingua galega (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
* Rosario Álvarez Blanco, editor (2014–2024), “contra”, in Tesouro do léxico patrimonial galego e portugués (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega, →ISSN

### Further reading

* “contra”, in Dicionario da Real Academia Galega (in Galician), A Coruña: Royal Galician Academy, 2012–2025

## Italian
### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈkon.tra/
* Rhymes: -ontra
* Hyphenation: cón‧tra

### Etymology 1

From Latin contrā.

#### Preposition

contra
* (archaic) Alternative form of contro (“against”)

##### Descendants

* → Maltese: kontra
* → Turkish: kontra

#### See also

* contra-

### Etymology 2

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

#### Verb

contra
* inflection of contrare:
** third-person singular present indicative
** second-person singular imperative

### Anagrams

* Tronca, tronca

## Ladin
### Etymology

From Latin contrā.

### Preposition

contra
* against

## Latin
### Etymology

From Proto-Italic *komterād, ablative singular feminine of *komteros (“the other of the two who meet, opposite”). The ablative singular masculine/neuter of the same is continued in Latin contrō-, cognate to Oscan contrud. Ultimately from *kom- + *-teros; thus, a doublet of cum, comparable to the relation between intrā and in, and extrā and ex, but unlike these lacking external cognates, and therefore of Italic origin.
The change from instrumental/ablative to accusative is caused by *-teros used adverbially.

### Pronunciation

* (Classical Latin) IPA: /ˈkon.traː/, [ˈkɔn̪t̪räː]
* (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA: /ˈkon.tra/, [ˈkɔn̪t̪rä]

### Adverb

contrā (not comparable)
* against
* opposite to
* contrary to
* otherwise
* in return, back

### Preposition

contrā (+ accusative)
* against
* across from, opposite

#### Derived terms

* contrārius

#### Descendants

* Balkan Romance:
** Romanian: către, cătră
* Dalmatian:
** cuantra
* Italo-Romance:
** Old Italian: contra
*** Italian: contro
** Sicilian: contra
* Padanian:
** Friulian: cuintri
** Ladin: contra
** Venetan: contra
* Northern Gallo-Romance:
** Old French: cuntre, contre
*** French: contre
*** → English: counter
* Southern Gallo-Romance:
** Aragonese: contra, cuentra
** Catalan: contra
** Occitan: contra
* Ibero-Romance:
** Asturian: contra
** Galician: contra
** Portuguese: contra
** Old Spanish: contra, cuentra (tonic variant)
*** Spanish: contra
* Insular Romance:
** Sardinian: contra
* Borrowings:
** → English: contra
** → Albanian: kundër
** → Hungarian: kontra
** → Italian: contra
** → Polish: kontra
** → Romanian: contra
** → Swedish: kontra

### References

* ↑ De Vaan, Michiel (2008) “contrā”, in Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 7), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 132

### Further reading

* “contra”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
* “contra”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
* "contra", in Charles du Fresne du Cange’s Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition with additions by D. P. Carpenterius, Adelungius and others, edited by Léopold Favre, 1883–1887)
* contra in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
* Carl Meißner, Henry William Auden (1894) Latin Phrase-Book‎, London: Macmillan and Co. to contradict some one: dicere contra aliquem or aliquid (not contradicere alicui) it is a breach of duty to..: contra officium est c. Inf. for the advantage of the state; in the interests of the state: e re publica (opp. contra rem p.) a thing is illegal: aliquid contra legem est to foster revolutionary projects: contra rem publicam sentire to be guilty of high treason: contra rem publicam facere to conspire with some one: conspirare cum aliquo (contra aliquem) against all law, human and divine: contra ius fasque
* contra in Ramminger, Johann (2016 July 16 (last accessed)) Neulateinische Wortliste: Ein Wörterbuch des Lateinischen von Petrarca bis 1700‎, pre-publication website, 2005-2016

## Occitan
### Etymology

From Latin contra.

### Pronunciation

* Audio:(file)

### Preposition

contra
* against

## Portuguese
### Etymology

From Latin contrā.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈkõ.tɾɐ/
* Rhymes: -õtɾɐ
* Hyphenation: con‧tra

### Preposition

contra
* against
    Antonyms: a favor, em prol, em favor, em defesa
    Ele é contra a proposta.He is against the proposal.
    Tiveram que nadar contra a corrente.They had to swim against the current.
    Não é justo, são três contra um.It's not fair, it's three against/on one.

#### Related terms

* contra-
* contrário

### Further reading

* “contra”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2025

## Romanian
### Etymology

Borrowed from French contre, Italian contra, Latin contrā. Doublet of the inherited către.

### Pronunciation

* Audio:(file)

### Preposition

contra
* against, versus

### Adverb

contra
* against, opposed to, opposite
* in exchange for

## Spanish
### Etymology

Inherited from Latin contrā. Old Spanish had cuentra as well, with diphthongization of stressed Latin /ŏ/. As the word was generally atonic, the unstressed variant contra prevailed over time.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈkontɾa/ [ˈkõn̪.t̪ɾa]
* Audio (Latin America):(file)
* Rhymes: -ontɾa
* Syllabification: con‧tra

### Preposition

contra
* against, versus
    Synonym: en oposición a
    Antonym: a favor de
    la lucha contra el prejuiciothe fight against prejudice

#### Derived terms

* contra el tiempo
* contra viento y marea
* contrarreforma
* contrarrevolucionario
* contratapa
* contraventana
* crimen contra naturaleza
* en contra
* en contra de

#### Related terms

* contrario
* encontrar

#### Descendants

* Hiligaynon: kontra
* Tagalog: kontra

### Noun

contra m (plural contras)
* con (disadvantage)
    Antonym: pro

### Noun

contra f (plural contras)
* antidote
* counterpunch
* counterattack
* Contra (guerrilla)

#### Derived terms

* a la contra

### Adverb

contra
* opposite, facing
    Synonym: en oposición a
    Antonym: a favor de

### Further reading

* “contra”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 2024 December 10
* Joan Coromines, José A[ntonio] Pascual (1984) “contra”, in Diccionario crítico etimológico castellano e hispánico [Critical Castilian and Hispanic Etymological Dictionary] (in Spanish), volume II (Ce–F), Madrid: Gredos, →ISBN, page 182

### Anagrams

* cantor
* cartón
* contar
* cortan
* cratón
* tranco
* tronca