opporsi

Opporsi is an Italian pronominal verb meaning to oppose oneself, to resist, or to object to something. The word derives from Latin opponere, with the reflexive si forming opporsi. In Italian, opporsi is used to indicate a stance against a proposal, rule, action, or idea, rather than to describe passive disagreement.

Usage and patterns: It is used with the preposition a to indicate what is being opposed: opporsi a una proposta, opporsi a una decisione, opporsi all’introduzione di una norma. It can also be used with an infinitive: opporsi a cambiare rotta. The sense can range from principled or public objection to personal resistance.

Grammar and conjugation: Opporsi is a pronominal verb and takes essere as the auxiliary in compound tenses. Present indicative: io mi oppongo, tu ti opponi, lui si oppone, noi ci opponiamo, voi vi opponete, loro si oppongono. Passato remoto and other tenses follow the standard reflexive pattern, while the passato prossimo is formed with the auxiliary essere and the past participle (masculine singular: opposto; feminine singular: opposta; plural forms vary by gender and number). The participle is opposto and the gerund is opponendosi.

Examples: "Mi oppongo a questa decisione." "La comunità si è opposta all’abbassamento dei servizi." "I cittadini si oppongono alle nuove norme." Related terms include opposizione (noun), oppugnare (to challenge), and dissentire (to dissent).

Notes: Opporsi conveys active resistance or objection and is common in legal, political, and social contexts. It is often contrasted with transitive oppositions marked by opporre.