opponents

Noun

opponent (plural opponents)

1. One who opposes another; one who works or takes a position against someone or something; one who attempts to stop the progress of someone or something.
   • The person who ran against her in the last election proved to be a formidable opponent.

   Synonyms:

   opp

   1. One who opposes another physically (in a fight, sport, game, or competition).
      • In the Chariot-Race Achilles is represented as being able to conquer every Opponent […]1720, Alexander Pope, The Iliad of Homer, London: Bernard Lintott, Volume 6, “Observations on the Twenty-Third Book,” no. 39, p. 136
   2. One who opposes another in words (in a dispute, argument or controversy).
      • It is easier to confound than to convince an opponent; the former may be effected by a turn that has more happiness than truth in it.1777, Hannah More, “Thoughts on Conversation”, in Essays on Various Subjects, London: J. Wilkie and T. Cadell, page 54
   3. One who is opposed or objects (to a policy, course of action or set of ideas).
      • She was a dedicated opponent of the death penalty.
   4. (historical) The participant who opens an academic debate by putting forward objections to a theological or philosophical thesis.
      • We make the argument appere slender, when we receiue it laughyngly, and declare by wordes, euen at the first, that it is nothyng to the purpose, and so abashe the opponent.1551, Thomas Wilson, “The maner of confutacion twoo waies considered”, in The Rule of Reason, conteinyng the Arte of Logique, London

See all 7 meanings of opponent