adversari

Adversari is a form that may appear in discussions of Italian language and historical texts, but it is not the standard modern spelling for the word meaning opponent. In contemporary Italian, the noun for “opponent” is avversario, with the plural avversari. The variant adversari can be encountered in older writings, regional dialects, or as a misspelling, and it is generally considered nonstandard today.

Etymology and related forms

The term derives from Latin adversarius, meaning “opponent” or “one who opposes.” In Italian, the modern reflex is avversario, reflecting regular sound changes from Latin to Italian, including the shift from ad- to av- in several derived words. The plural form follows the standard Italian pattern: avversari.

Usage and examples

In standard Italian, one would say gli avversari to refer to the opponents in a competition or dispute. The form adversari is rarely used in contemporary writing and would typically be corrected to avversari in formal contexts. In other Romance languages, cognate forms exist with similar meanings but different orthography (for example, adversarios in Spanish).

See also

Avversario, avversari; adversary (English term with related roots); Latin adversarius.

Notes

Adversari may appear in historical texts or dialectal inscriptions as a nonstandard variant, but it is not the accepted modern spelling in standard Italian. When writing about opponents in Italian today, avversari is the appropriate term.