Opponencies

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A situation or state where one set of arguments or positions is contrasted with another in conflict
2. The act or fact of presenting opposing views or challenges in a debate or discussion
3. Instances where differing beliefs or statements are presented to counter or challenge each other in reasoning or negotiation

Etymology: "Opponencies" is simply the plural of "opponency," a noun meaning acts of opposing. The base word is "opponent," which comes from Latin "opponens," the present participle of "opponere," "to set against" (from "ob," "against," plus "ponere," "to place"). Opponent is a word that describes something set against something else, and the "-cy" ending attached to it forms a noun for the action or state of doing so. The suffix "-cy" is a common English ending, borrowed largely through Latin and French, that turns adjectives and agent nouns into nouns of quality, state, or action, as in "democracy" or "accuracy." Adding it to "opponent" produces a noun naming the activity of opposing, and the plural "opponencies" simply counts separate instances of such acts.

Synonyms: oppositions, resistances