adjective / noun · academic
contrary
UK/ˈkɒntrəri/US/ˈkɑːntrɛri/CON·tra·ry
Opposite in nature or meaning; something that is opposed to something else
Examples
“Contrary to popular belief, the data indicate that the policy had limited effect.”
“The findings are contrary to previous studies on the topic.”
“On the contrary, further evidence supports the alternative explanation.”
Band 8 sentence
“Contrary to earlier models, our analysis demonstrates that demographic shifts, not technology, drive long‑term growth patterns.”
Collocations
- contrary to expectations
- on the contrary
- contrary evidence
Word family
Common mistakes
on contrary→on the contrary
contrary with the findings→contrary to the findings
Say it for a higher band
5opposite→6in contrast→7+contrary
Synonyms
opposite
conflicting
Easily confused
opposite
“The two hypotheses lead to opposite predictions about employment trends.”
Related words
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In Sublist 7
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