Meanings
comparative more adversarial · superlative most adversarial
- Characteristic of, or in the manner of, an adversary; combative, hostile, opposed.
The White Paper therefore aims to tackle complexity rather then ownership of the railways, and to eliminate "the adversarial relationships between operators, suppliers, NR and government".
2021 June 2, “Network News: Simplification, not nationalisation”, in RAIL, number 932, page 91 more example
In polling by the Pew Research Center in November 2008, fully half the respondents thought the two parties would cooperate more in the coming year, versus only 36 percent who thought the climate would grow more adversarial.
2012 November 7, Matt Bai, “Winning a Second Term, Obama Will Confront Familiar Headwinds”, in New York Times - lawIn which issues are tried through the presentation of evidence and argument by adverse parties, with no or limited inquiry by the court's own initiative.
Canada uses an adversarial system of criminal justice, whereas France uses an inquisitorial model.
Synonyms & antonyms
Origin
Translations
Arabic عدائي
- عدائيcharacteristic of, or in the manner of, an adversary
Chinese Mandarin 敵對的 /敌对的, 對抗的 /对抗的
- 敵對的 /敌对的 (díduì de)characteristic of, or in the manner of, an adversary
- 對抗的 /对抗的 (duìkàng de)characteristic of, or in the manner of, an adversary
Dutch vijandig
- vijandigcharacteristic of, or in the manner of, an adversary
Finnish vihamielinen
- vihamielinencharacteristic of, or in the manner of, an adversary
German feindlich, gegnerisch
- feindlichcharacteristic of, or in the manner of, an adversary
- gegnerischcharacteristic of, or in the manner of, an adversary
- konfliktreichcharacteristic of, or in the manner of, an adversary
- konfliktärcharacteristic of, or in the manner of, an adversary
- auf Gegensätzen beruhendcharacteristic of, or in the manner of, an adversary
- kontradiktorischcharacteristic of, or in the manner of, an adversary
Spanish adverso
- adversocharacteristic of, or in the manner of, an adversary
Cite this entry
adversarial. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/adversarial
“adversarial.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/adversarial. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “adversarial,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/adversarial.
Source: adversarial on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.