Meaning

Characteristic of, or in the manner of, an adversary; combative, hostile, opposed..

Definitions by Sense

1. Characteristic of, or in the manner of, an adversary; combative, hostile, opposed.
2. (law) In 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.

Example Sentences

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.

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".

Canada uses an adversarial system of criminal justice, whereas France uses an inquisitorial model.

Word Forms

• more adversarial
• most adversarial

Antonyms for adversarial

Related Words

When Should You Use Adversarial?

Use adversarial when its meaning, tone and grammar fit the full sentence. A synonym is not always a direct replacement.

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