I .
/ ˈkɒntrəri; NAmE ˈkɑːntreri/ adjective , noun
—see also contrary (II)
■ adjective
1.
contrary to sth different from sth; against sth :
Contrary to popular belief , many cats dislike milk.
The government has decided that the publication of the report would be 'contrary to the public interest'.
2.
[ only before noun ] completely different in nature or direction
SYN opposite :
contrary advice / opinions / arguments
The contrary view is that prison provides an excellent education—in crime.
■ noun
the contrary [ sing. ] the opposite fact, event or situation :
In the end the contrary was proved true: he was innocent and she was guilty.
•
IDIOMS
- on the contrary
- quite the contrary
- to the contrary
II .
/ kənˈtreəri; NAmE -ˈtreri/ adjective
( formal , disapproving ) ( usually of children ) behaving badly; choosing to do or say the opposite of what is expected :
She was such a contrary child—it was impossible to please her.
—see also contrary (I)
► con·trar·ily adverb
► con·trari·ness noun [ U ]
••
WORD ORIGIN
II . Middle English : from Anglo-Norman French contrarie , from Latin contrarius , from contra against.