Oppositionally

Part of speech: adverb

Definitions

1. In a way that signifies contradiction or dissent
2. In a manner reflecting resistance to an idea or position
3. In a way that shows disagreement or resistance to a stance

Etymology: "Oppositionally" is a plain formation: the adjective "oppositional," which describes a habit of opposing or contesting, with the adverbial suffix "-ly" attached to give the sense "in an opposing manner." The adjective itself is built from "opposition," which traces back through Old French "opposicion" to Latin "oppositio," a noun from "opponere," meaning "to set against," from "ob" ("against") and "ponere" ("to place"). The "-al" ending on "oppositional" turns the noun into an adjective meaning "relating to opposition," and "-ly" then converts that adjective into an adverb describing how something is done. Each step is ordinary English word-building, so the word follows the pattern of many other adverbs such as "politically" or "conditionally."