Prefix · against / opposite
Signals opposition or contrary action: contradict, contraband, contrast, contraception.
Written by Bryan López, English teacher · Updated
Contra- comes from Latin "contra" (against, opposite to) and signals opposition, contrariness, or an action in the reverse direction: contradict = say the opposite of what someone else has said; contraband = goods that go against the law (prohibited); contrast = show the differences between two things placed face to face; contraception = action against conception; contrary = that which is opposite.
In music, contra- signals very low registers: contrabass = the string instrument with the lowest range; contralto = the lowest female voice; contra-tenor = a tenor who sings against the usual tenor range. In engineering: contraflow = traffic flowing in the opposite direction; counterfeit (with the counter- variant) = made in opposition to the original.
Attaches to nouns and verbs. Identical in Spanish and English:
Pronunciation: /ˈkɒntrə/. Identical in Spanish and English. Approximate synonym of "counter-" in English, but contra- is more common in formal and technical terms.
contra-/ˈkɒntrə/
Tap the button to hear how the prefix sounds. Each word in the table has its own audio.
"Contradict" means to assert the opposite, with or without proof: "You said it was red; he contradicted you by saying it was blue." Both statements could be wrong. "Refute" = to prove something false with evidence. These are distinct: you can contradict while being equally mistaken.
"Contrast" (noun) = the striking difference revealed by comparison: "the contrast between city and country." "Contrast" (verb) = to compare to highlight differences: "She contrasted his optimism with her pessimism." The word functions as both noun and verb with no change in form.
A trick to remember it
Contra- = "against" or "opposite": contradict = say the opposite, contraband = goods against the law, contrast = difference placed face to face, contraception = action against conception. Identical in Spanish and English. Approximate synonym of counter-, but contra- is more formal and technical.
Exercise 1 · Form the word
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
"The ___ between the modern glass tower and the Victorian terrace beside it is quite striking."
Exercise 3 · Pick the right one
What is the difference between "contradict" and "refute" in English?
The prefix contra- signals opposition or contrary action: contradict, contraband, contrast, contraception. In Spanish it usually maps to contra-.
The prefix contra- is pronounced /ˈkɒntrə/. For example, "contradict".
"dict" becomes "contradict". It is a typical example of the contra- prefix.
un-, re-, pre-, dis-, over-, in-... every beginning you need to unlock thousands of English words at once.