preposition
contra
KONT-ruh
preposition
1
Against or in opposition to.
"The debate was argued pro and contra the new tax."
noun
1
An accounting entry that offsets or cancels out another entry.
"The refund was recorded as a contra against the original sale."
2
A member of a rightist guerrilla group that fought Nicaragua's socialist government in the 1980s, secretly backed by the United States.
"The historian wrote a book about the Contras and the Iran-Contra scandal."
How to Use Contra
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishUsed to mean "against" or "opposite," and also the name for anti-government Nicaraguan fighters in the 1980s.
Common pairings
pro and contra
contra account
Iran-Contra affair
Word Forms
more contra comparative, contras plural, Contras plural, contras singular, most contra superlative
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The debate was argued pro and _____ the new tax.
Etymology
From Latin contrā, meaning "against."