1. Being directly across from each other; facing
   "at opposite poles"; "And I on the opposite shore will be, ready to ride and spread the alarm"; "we lived on opposite sides of the street"
    
2. Moving or facing away from each other
   "looking in opposite directions"; "they went in opposite directions"
    
3. Altogether different in nature, quality or significance
   "the medicine's effect was opposite to that intended"; "it is said that opposite characters make a union happiest"
    
4. Characterized by opposite extremes; completely opposed
   "opposite points of view";
   - diametric, diametrical, polar
    
5. The other one of a complementary pair
   "the opposite sex"; "the two chess kings are set up on squares of opposite colours"
    
6. (botany) of leaves etc.; growing in pairs on either side of a stem
   "opposite leaves";
   - paired

1. A relation of direct opposition
   "we thought Sue was older than Bill but just the opposite was true";
   - reverse, contrary
    
2. Something inverted in sequence, character or effect
   "when the direct approach failed he tried the opposite";
   - inverse
    
3. A word that expresses a meaning opposed to the meaning of another word, in which case the two words are antonyms of each other
   "to him the opposite word of 'gay' was 'depressed'";
   - antonym, opposite word
    
4. A contestant that you are matched against
   "The team's opposite proved to be a formidable adversary";
   - opposition, opponent

1. Directly facing each other
   "they sat opposite at the table";
   - face-to-face, face to face

Derived forms: opposites

See also: different, other

Type of: contestant, oppositeness, opposition, word

Antonym: alternate

Encyclopedia: Opposite