Adversaries

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Parties or individuals that stand in opposition or rivalry to each other in various contexts
2. Groups or individuals engaged in a contest or disagreement, actively opposing each other's objectives or goals
3. Individuals or groups who oppose or compete against one another in any situation

Etymology: "Adversaries" is the plural of "adversary", which came into Middle English from Anglo-Norman and Old French forms like "aversaire" and "aversier". Those descend from the Latin "adversārius", built from "adversus", meaning "turned toward" or "opposed to". The original sense was simply someone set against you, facing you across a divide, and the idea of a hostile opponent grew naturally from that stance. The English spelling was reshaped over time. The modern form draws on the Latin base and the related word "adverse", which is why the two look so alike today. The older Anglo-Norman spelling shows the word arriving through French rather than directly from Latin.

Synonyms: opponents, enemies, rivals, contestants, challengers

Antonyms: allies, friends, supporters