Etymology

contrarian

con·tra·ri·an
C3O1N1T1R1A1R1I1A1N1

Today it means: A person who likes or tends to express a contradicting viewpoint, especially from one held by a majority of people, usually because of nonconformity or spite. Full definition →

First used mid 20th c.English libertarianinflu.
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The story

  1. Englishcontrary
  2. Englishlibertarianinflu.
  3. English todaycontrarian

From contrary + -an (suffix forming agent nouns; and meaning of or pertaining to forming adjectives), modelled after words like libertarian.

First known use, by meaning

  • from mid 20th c. A person who likes or tends to express a contradicting viewpoint, especially from one held by a majority of people, usually because of nonconformity or spite.
  • from late 20th c. Liking or tending to express a contradicting viewpoint, especially from one held by a majority of people.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.