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Origin and history of opposition

opposition(n.)

late 14c., opposicioun, an astrological term for the situation of two heavenly bodies exactly across from one another in the heavens, from Old French oposicion (12c.) and directly from Latin oppositionem (nominative oppositio) "act of opposing, a placing against," noun of action from past-participle stem of opponere "set against," from assimilated form of ob "in front of, in the way of" (see ob-) + ponere "to put, set, place" (see position (n.)).

General sense of "the position of that which faces or confronts something else" is from c. 1400. The meaning "that which is opposite something else" is from 1540s; meaning "act of resisting, antagonism" is attested from 1580s; sense of "

body of opposers," especially "the political party opposed to the one in power" is from 1704.

also from late 14c.

Entries linking to opposition

position(n.)

late 14c., posicioun, as a term in logic and philosophy, "statement of belief, the laying down of a proposition or thesis," from Old French posicion "position, supposition" (Modern French position) and directly from Latin positionem (nominative positio) "act or fact of placing, situation, position, affirmation," noun of state from past-participle stem of ponere "put, place." Watkins tentatively identifies this as from PIE *po-s(i)nere, from *apo- "off, away" (see apo-) + *sinere "to leave, let" (see site). But de Vaan identifies it as from Proto-Italic *posine-, from PIE *tkine- "to build, live," from root *tkei- "to settle, dwell, be home" (see home (n.)).

The meaning "place occupied by a person or thing" especially a proper or appropriate place, is from 1540s; hence "status, standing, social rank" (1832); "official station, employment" (1890). The meaning "manner in which some physical thing is arranged or posed, aggregate of the spatial relations of a body or figure to other such bodies or figures" is recorded by 1703; specifically in reference to dance steps, 1778, to sexual intercourse, 1883. Military sense of "place occupied or to be occupied" is by 1781.

oppositional(adj.)

"of or pertaining to opposition," 1680s, from opposition + -al (1). Originally in the astronomical sense of opposition; the general sense of "having the character of hostile action" is from 1829.

ob-

word-forming element meaning "toward; against; before; near; across; down," also used as an intensive, from Latin ob (prep.) "in the direction of, in front of, before; toward, to, at, upon, about; in the way of; with regard to, because of," from PIE root *epi, also *opi "near, against" (see epi-).

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    resistance
    mid-14c., resistence, "moral or political opposition;" late 14c., "military or armed physical opposition by force; difficulty, trouble," from Old French resistance, earlier resistence, and directly from Medieval Latin resistentia, from present-participle stem of Latin resistere "
    confrontation
    1630s, "action of bringing two parties face to face," for examination and discovery of the truth, from Medieval Latin confrontationem (nominative confrontatio), noun of action from past-participle stem of confrontari, from assimilated form of Latin com "with, together" (see con-)
    enemy
    early 13c., "one hateful toward and intent on harming (someone)," from Old French enemi (12c., Modern French ennemi), earlier inimi (9c.) "enemy, adversary, foe; demon, the Devil," from Latin inimicus "an enemy," literally "an unfriend," noun use of adjective meaning "hostile, un
    antithesis
    1520s, "opposition, contrast," originally in rhetoric, "the bringing of contrary ideas or terms in close opposition;" 1530s...as "that which is in (rhetorical) opposition or contrast," from Late Latin antithesis, from Greek antithesis "opposition...The extended sense of "direct or striking opposition" is from 1630s; by 1831 as "that which is the direct opposite."...
    contrast
    1690s, "to set in opposition with a view to show the differences; to stand in opposition or contrast; to set off (each other...modern word is a 17c. re-introduction as a term in fine arts, on the notion of "to exhibit differences or heighten effect by opposition...
    disbelief
    Disbelief is more commonly used to express an active mental opposition which does not imply a blameworthy disregard of evidence...simple failure to believe from lack of evidence or knowledge; but its theological use has given it also the force of wilful opposition...
    counterpoise
    early 15c., "a weight equal to and balancing another; any equal power or force acting in opposition," from Old French contrepois...As a verb, "to act in opposition to," late 14c. (implied in counterpoised), from Old French contrepeser....
    direction
    late 14c., direccioun, "action of directing or guiding," from Latin directionem (nominative directio) "a making straight, a straight line, a directing (toward something)," noun of action from past-participle stem of dirigere "to set straight, arrange; give a particular direction
    party
    c. 1300, partie, "a part, division, section, portion," a sense now obsolete; also "physical piece, fragment; section of a book or treatise," from Old French partie "side, part; portion, share; separation, division" (12c.), literally "that which is divided," noun use of fem. past
    tertium quid
    something indeterminate between two other things, 1724, Latin, literally "third something," from tertius "third, a third," from the root of tres "three" (see three). A loan-translation of Greek triton ti (Plato), used in alchemy for "unidentified element present in a combination

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