opposition

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. n. The act of opposing or resisting.
2. n. The condition of being in conflict; antagonism: "The history of men's opposition to women's emancipation is more interesting perhaps than the story of that emancipation itself” ( Virginia Woolf).
3. n. Placement opposite to or in contrast with another.
4. n. Something that serves as an obstacle.
5. n. A political party or an organized group opposed to the group, party, or government in power.
6. n. Astronomy The position of two celestial bodies when their longitude differs by 180°, especially a configuration in which Earth lies on a straight line between the sun and a superior planet or the moon.
7. n. Astronomy The position of the superior planet or the moon in this configuration.
8. n. Logic The relation existing between two propositions having an identical subject and predicate but differing in quantity, quality, or both.
9. n. Linguistics Contrast in a language between two phonemes or other linguistically important elements.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. The position of that which confronts, faces, or stands over against something else.
2. n. In astronomy, the situation of two heavenly bodies when diametrically opposed to each other as seen from the earth's surface, or when their longitudes differ by 180°. Thus, there is an opposition of sun and moon at every full moon; the moon or a planet is said to be in opposition when its longitude differs 180° from that of the sun. See conjunction.
3. n. The action of opposing, withstanding, resisting, or checking; antagonism; encounter.
4. n. A placing opposite, as for purposes of comparison, contrast, etc., or the state of being so placed, opposed, or contrasted; contrariety.
5. n. In logic, the disagreement between propositions which have the same subject or the same predicate, but differ in quantity or quality, or in both; also, the relation between two terms which are contrasted in any respect.
6. n. In the fine arts, contrast.
7. n. A body of opposers; specifically, those members of a legislative body who are opposed to the administration for the time being, or the political party opposed to the party in power: frequently used adjectively: as, an opposition scheme; the opposition benches in the British House of Commons.
8. n. In fencing. See the quotation.
9. n. In chess, a position where the king of the player who has not the move is directly in front of that of his opponent with one vacant square between.
10. n. See the adjectives.
11. n. In astrology, the aspect formed between two heavenly bodies 180 degrees (or about that distance) from each other: regarded as inimical and pernicious.

Wiktionary

1. n. The action of opposing or of being in conflict.
2. n. An opposite or contrasting position.
3. n. An opponent in some form of competition.
4. n. astronomy The apparent relative position of two celestial bodies when one is at an angle of 180 degrees from the other as seen from the Earth.
5. n. politics A political party opposed to the party or government in power.
6. n. law In United States intellectual property law, a proceeding in which an interested party seeks to prevent the registration of a trademark or patent.
7. n. chess A position in which the player on the move must yield with his king allowing his opponent to advance with his own king.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. n. The act of opposing; an attempt to check, restrain, or defeat; resistance.
2. n. The state of being placed over against; situation so as to front something else.
3. n. Repugnance; contrariety of sentiment, interest, or purpose; antipathy.
4. n. That which opposes; an obstacle; specifically, the aggregate of persons or things opposing; hence, in politics and parliamentary practice, the party opposed to the party in power.
5. n. (Astron.) The situation of a heavenly body with respect to another when in the part of the heavens directly opposite to it; especially, the position of a planet or satellite when its longitude differs from that of the sun 180°; -- signified by the symbol �.
6. n. (Logic) The relation between two propositions when, having the same subject and predicate, they differ in quantity, or in quality, or in both; or between two propositions which have the same matter but a different form.

WordNet 3.0

1. n. the major political party opposed to the party in office and prepared to replace it if elected
2. n. the relation between opposed entities
3. n. a contestant that you are matched against
4. n. a body of people united in opposing something
5. n. the act of hostile groups opposing each other
6. n. a direction opposite to another
7. n. an armed adversary (especially a member of an opposing military force)
8. n. the action of opposing something that you disapprove or disagree with