the opposition
noun
: a person or group that someone is trying to defeat or succeed against : a person or group that someone is competing with
The coach advised her team not to underestimate the opposition.
Examples of the opposition in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The growing trend of player-for-player marking can also mean that teams can bypass an opponent’s midfield with direct passes when building up, allowing an attacking midfielder, two wingers, and a lone striker to stay high and push the opposition back towards their own goal.
—
Mark Carey, New York Times, 23 Oct. 2025
His ability to hold the loyalty of one of Kenya’s largest and most diverse voting blocs; to unify the opposition Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), a center-left outfit; and to organize protests—and use them to win concessions from government—kept him a central political player.
—Ian Bremmer, Time, 22 Oct. 2025
The president has denied targeting the opposition.
—Fortune, 22 Oct. 2025
The actual ripple effect, however, was on the opposition.
—Nafees Alam, Twin Cities, 22 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for the opposition
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Mark Carey, New York Times, 23 Oct. 2025
His ability to hold the loyalty of one of Kenya’s largest and most diverse voting blocs; to unify the opposition Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), a center-left outfit; and to organize protests—and use them to win concessions from government—kept him a central political player.
—Ian Bremmer, Time, 22 Oct. 2025
The president has denied targeting the opposition.
—Fortune, 22 Oct. 2025
The actual ripple effect, however, was on the opposition.
—Nafees Alam, Twin Cities, 22 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for the opposition
Cite this Entry
“The opposition.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20opposition. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
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