opposition
opposition noun
/ˌɒpəˈzɪʃn/
/ˌɑːpəˈzɪʃn/
Idioms
1 uncountable, singular the act of strongly disagreeing with somebody/something, especially with the aim of preventing something from happening Opposition came primarily from students.
opposition to somebody/something
Delegates expressed strong opposition to the plans.
He spent five years in prison for his opposition to the regime.
They mounted an effective opposition to the bill.
There was widespread opposition to the war.
The army met with fierce opposition in every town.
The proposal faced stiff opposition.
We cannot back down at the first sign of opposition.
opposition forces (= people who are arguing, fighting, etc. with another group)
Greens are prominent among opposition groups in several countries.
Collocations
adjective
verb + opposition
opposition + verb
come from somebody
opposition + noun
preposition
against oppositionin the face of oppositiondespite opposition…
2 uncountable the act of competing against somebody in a contest She won against determined opposition from last year's champion.
He is expected to face stiff opposition from countryman, Scott, who has also emerged as a leading contender.
He's gone to work for the opposition.
The opposition is/are mounting a strong challenge to our business.
Liverpool couldn't match the opposition in the final and lost 2–0.
4 the Opposition
(North American English the opposition)
singular + singular or plural verb the main political party that is opposed to the government; the political parties that are in a parliament but are not part of the government the leader of the Opposition
Opposition MPs/politicians/parties
the Opposition spokesman on education
They received support from the main opposition leaders.
He has led the political opposition for the past decade.
Collocations
adjective
opposition + noun
preposition
in opposition
phrases
the Leader of the Opposition
5 uncountable, countable (formal) the state of being as different as possible; two things that are as different as possible the opposition between good and evil
His poetry is full of oppositions and contrasts.
Idioms
Word Origin
late Middle English: from Latin oppositio(n-), from opponere ‘set against’.
e.g.