Lewis & Short

contrārĭus, a, um, adj. [contra], lying or being over against, opposite.

  1. I. In gen.
    1. A. Prop., of places (syn. adversus): collis adversus huic et contrarius, Caes. B. G. 2, 18; cf.: contraria tigna iis (tignis), id. ib. 4, 17, 5; and: gemma soli, Plin. 37, 9, 47, § 131: contrario amne, against the stream, id. 21, 12, 43, § 73: tellus, Ov. M. 1, 65; cf. id. ib. 13, 429: ripa, Dig. 41, 1, 65: auris, Plin. 24, 10, 47, § 77: contraria vulnera ( = adversa vulnera), in front, on the breast, Tac. H. 3, 84: in contrarias partes fluere, Cic. Div. 1, 35, 78; cf.: tignis in contrariam partem revinctis, Caes. B. G. 4, 17; cf.. si pelles utriusque (hyaenae et pantherae) contrariae suspendantur, Plin. 28, 8, 27, § 93: contrario ictu uterque transfixus, by a blow from the opposite direction, Liv. 2, 6, 9.
      With inter se, Plin. 4, 11, 18, § 49.
      With atque, Cic. Rep. 6, 17, 17.
      Far more freq. and class. in prose and poetry,
    2. B. Transf., of other objects.
      1. 1. In gen., opposite, contrary, opposed (syn. diversus); constr. with the gen., dat., inter se, atque, or absol.
          1. (α) With gen.: hujus virtutis contraria est vitiositas, Cic. Tusc. 4, 15, 34; id. Inv. 2, 54, 165; id. Fin. 4, 24, 67 Madv. N. cr.; Quint. 5, 10, 49 al.
          2. (β) With dat.: voluptas honestati, Cic. Off. 3, 33, 119: fortuna rationi et constantiae, id. Div. 2, 7, 18; cf. id. Top. 11, 46 sq.: vitium illi virtuti, Quint. 11, 3, 44: rusticitas urbanitati, id. 6, 3, 17: pes bacchio, id. 9, 4, 102: color albo, Ov. M. 2, 541: aestus vento, id. ib. 8, 471 et saep.
          3. (γ) With inter se: orationes inter se contrariae Aeschinis Demosthenisque, Cic. Opt. Gen. 5, 14; so id. de Or. 2, 55, 223; Quint. prooem. § 2; 1, 10, 6; 10, 1, 22.
          4. (δ) With atque: versantur retro contrario motu atque caelum, Cic. Rep. 6, 17, 17.
            (ε) Absol.: aut bono casu aut contrario, Cic. Tusc. 5, 12, 36: monstrum ex contrariis diversisque inter se pugnantibus naturae studiis conflatum, id. Cael. 5, 12: ardor, Lucr. 3, 252: exemplum, Quint. 5, 11, 7: jus, id. 5, 11, 32: leges, conflicting, id. 3, 6, 43; Dig. 1, 3, 28: actiones, cross-suits, Gai Inst. 4, 174 al.: latitudo quā contrariae quinqueremes commearent, going in opposite directions, Suet. Ner. 31: disputandum est de omni re in contrarias partis, on both sides, Cic. de Or. 1, 34, 158: ex contrariā parte dicere, id. Inv. 1, 18, 26: in contrariam partem adferre aliquid, id. de Or. 2, 53, 215 al.
      2. 2. Esp., subst.: contrārĭum, ii, n., the opposite, contrary, reverse.
        1. a. In gen.: contrarium decernebat ac paulo ante decreverat, Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 46, § 120: si ea rex vult, quae Thebanis sint utiliasin autem contraria, etc., Nep. Epam. 4, 2: dum vitant stulti vitia, in contraria currunt, Hor. S. 1, 2, 24; cf.: diversaeque vocant animum in contraria curae, in opposite directions, Verg A. 12, 487: ut auctoris sortem in contraria mutet, Ov. M. 3, 329: in contraria versus, transformed, id. ib. 12, 179.
          With gen.: contraria earum (artium) … vitia quae sunt virtutum contraria, Cic. Fin. 4, 24, 67: fidentiae contrarium est diffidentia, id. Inv. 2, 54, 165; cf. Quint. 5, 10, 49.
          With dat.: quis non diversa praesentibus contrariaque exspectatis aut speret aut timeat, Vell. 2, 75, 2: qui contraria Deo faciat, Lact. de Ira, 3, 3.
          With quam: qui contraria faciat quam Deus, Lact. 3, 29, 13; Aug. Civ. Dei, 8, 24; Claud. in Eutr. 2, 267.
        2. b. As rhet. fig., the antithesis, contrast, opposite, Cic. Inv. 1, 28, 42; Auct. Her. 4, 19, 27; Jul. Ruf. Schem. Lex. § 11.
        3. c. Adverb. phrases: ex contrario, on the conirary, on the other hand, Caes. B. G. 7, 30; Cic. Rosc. Com. 16, 47; id. Inv. 2, 8, 25; Quint. 6, 1, 16: e contrario, Nep. Iphicr. 1, 4; id. Ham. 1, 2; id. Att. 9, 3; id. Eum. 1, 5 (al. contrario without e); Quint. 1, 5, 43; rarely ex contrariis, Quint. 8, 5, 9; 8, 5, 18; 10, 1, 19; 11, 3, 39 al.
          In the same sense, but more rarely, in contrarium, Plin. 18, 24, 54, § 197: per contrarium, Dig. 2, 4, 8, § 1; 2, 15, 8; 28, 1, 20 al.
  2. II. In partic.
      1. 1. Of weight: aes contrarium, weighed against, = ἀντίρροπον, Paul. ex Fest. p. 64, 12 Müll.; cf. Scalig. ad Plaut. Ep. 3, 3, 30.
      2. 2. Of hostile opposition, inimical, hostile, hurtful, pernicious, etc. (more rare than adversarius, and mostly poet. or in post-Aug. prose): contrariis dis, Varr. L. L. 5, § 70 Müll.: Averna avibus cunctis, dangerous, destructive, Lucr. 6, 741; cf.: usus lactis capitis doloribus, Plin. 28, 9, 33, § 130: hyssopum stomacho, id. 25, 11, 87, § 136: quam (sc. perspicuitatem) quidam etiam contrariam interim putaverunt, injurious, disadvantageous, Quint. 4, 2, 64 Spald.; cf.: philosophia imperaturo, Suet. Ner. 52: exta, unfavorable, id. Oth. 8: saepe quos ipse alueris, Tibi inveniri maxime contrarios, hostile, Phaedr. 4, 11, 17: litora litoribus contraria, fluctibus undas Imprecor, Verg. A. 4, 628; cf. id. ib. 7, 293.
        Subst.: contrārĭus, ii, m., an opponent, antagonist; plur., Vitr. 3, praef. 2.
        Adv.: con-trārĭē, in an opposite direction, in a different manner: sidera procedentia, Cic. Univ 9 med.: scriptum, id. Part. Or. 31, 108: relata verba, id. de Or. 2, 65, 263: dicere, Tac. Or. 34.