What does contrarily mean?
Contrarily is an adverb describing action taken in an opposite, contrary, or perverse manner — most commonly used to characterize someone who stubbornly does the reverse of what is expected, advised, or requested. A person who behaves contrarily seems wilfully uncooperative, almost for its own sake: told to stay indoors, they head straight out. The word derives from 'contrary', which itself comes from the Latin 'contra', meaning against. Beyond this dominant behavioural sense, contrarily has a rarer, more formal meaning of 'on the other hand' or 'conversely', used to introduce a statement that reverses a previous one. Its close relative 'contrariwise' covers much of that second usage, which can make the two easy to confuse. Contrarily remains a useful word precisely because it names a familiar human trait — the impulse to resist direction — with economy and precision.
adverbIn a manner that is deliberately opposite, contrary, or perverse to what is expected or requested. It can also mean on the other hand or conversely.
- In a manner that is deliberately opposed or perverse; stubbornly doing the opposite of what is expected or asked.
- On the other hand; conversely (a less common, chiefly formal use).
"The more she was urged to rest, the more contrarily she insisted on working."
"Warned that the ice was thin, he walked onto the lake all the more contrarily."
"She is not careless; contrarily, she checks every figure twice."
Add one little syllable to 'contrary' and you get an adverb that turns ordinary stubbornness into a word — the linguistic cousin of the child who does the exact opposite of whatever they're told.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of contrarily
Contrarily comes from 'contrary', which English borrowed in the Middle Ages from Old French, ultimately deriving from Latin 'contra', meaning 'against' or 'opposite'. The adverbial form arose by adding the standard '-ly' suffix, first appearing in English around the early modern period. It shares its Latin root with words such as 'contrast', 'contravene', and 'controversy', all built on the idea of opposition.
Related word forms
How contrarily is actually used
The word carries a mildly negative connotation of wilfulness or perversity when describing behaviour, so it should be used with care about tone. In its rarer 'conversely' sense it reads as formal or old-fashioned. The spelling 'contrairly' appears occasionally as an error but is nonstandard.
Easily confused with contrarily
'Contrariwise' means 'on the contrary' or 'conversely', while 'contrarily' more often describes acting in a stubbornly opposite or perverse manner.
'Conversely' formally reverses a statement or relationship, whereas 'contrarily' typically characterizes behaviour or a manner of doing something.