contrária

Contrária is the feminine singular form of the Portuguese adjective contrário, meaning opposite, opposing or contrary. It is used to describe something that is in opposition to another thing and agrees with feminine nouns, as in “ideia contrária,” “opinião contrária” or “posição contrária.” The masculine form is contrário, and the plural forms are contrários (masculine) and contrárias (feminine).

Etymology and range of use: The term comes from Latin contrarius, meaning turned against or facing the other way. In everyday language, contrária denotes opposition or contrast between ideas, positions, or phenomena. In philosophical or logical contexts, it can refer to a proposition that is opposed to another, though the terminology in logic often distinguishes contrários, contraditórias, and outras relations depending on the exact relation being described. In general usage, you may see phrases like “uma conclusão contrária,” “uma posição contrária,” or “afirmação contrária.”

Nuances and examples: Contrária is commonly employed to mark disagreement or contrast with a preceding statement. Examples include: “A solução proposta é contrária aos princípios apresentados,” or “Há várias opiniões contrárias entre os especialistas.” The expression ao contrário is more widely used to convey “on the contrary” in everyday speech, but contrária remains useful when the noun it modifies is feminine.

See also: contrariedade, contrário, contrários, contrárias.