Opponents

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Groups or individuals who face each other in various forms of competition or conflict engage actively in opposing actions or viewpoints
2. Individuals or groups who contend against each other in contests or disputes
3. People who stand against one another in trials, matches, or conflicts

Etymology: "Opponents" is simply the plural of "opponent," a noun for someone who stands on the other side of a contest or conflict. The singular comes from Latin "oppōnēns," the present participle of "oppōnō," meaning "to oppose." That verb is built from "ob," meaning "against" or "in the way of," and "pōnō," meaning "to place" or "to put." Put together, the literal image is of placing something in front of another thing, which is exactly what an opponent does when setting themselves in the path of your move, argument, or advance. The Latin participle is a form that means "placing against," and English took it over as a noun for the person doing the placing. The sense of a rival in a game or dispute has been present in English since the word was borrowed, so the word has kept close to its original image of two parties facing each other across a gap.

Synonyms: adversaries, rivals, competitors

Antonyms: allies, friends