opponencyn.
/əˈpəʊnənsi/, U.S. /əˈpoʊnənsi/ 1. Antagonism; opposition. Now rare.
ΘΚΠ
the world > action or operation > difficulty > opposition > [noun]
contrariositya1340
adversitya1382
champertyc1386
contrariousness1398
thwartingc1430
contrariancec1450
contrariness?1530
withsitting1532
oppugning1535
opposition1548
oppugnation1563
thwartness1577
adverseness1580
crossing1580
breasting1594
antipathy1601
oppugnancy1609
affrontment1611
opposure1611
thortera1614
contrariancya1617
obstancy1616
oppositeness1619
contropposition1621
obstrigillation1623
opposing1624
hostility1632
opposal1638
crossness1641
affront1642
aversion1651
oppugnance1657
shock1664
opponency1727
counteraction1750
antagonism1797
throwing1816
oppositiveness1824
kick1839
variance1842
opposedness1853
againstness1909
hornet1921
adversariness1970
oppositionality1989
1727 N. Bailey Universal Etymol. Eng. Dict. II Opponency, opposition.
1794 A. Thomas Newfoundland Jrnl. (1968) vi. 85 It was debated what name to give the cove... The opponency lay between Sudden and Surprize!
1826 J. Gilchrist Lect. Pref. 4 Which affinity might have been assisted..by the very nature of the opponency to be contended with.
1857 J. W. Donaldson Christian Orthodoxy 256 ‘Oppositions of science falsely so called’..(i.e. opponencies of the misnamed Gnosis).
1957 C. W. Hostler Turkism & Soviets iv. 190 A certain opponency is evident between the United States and Great Britain.
2. The action of maintaining a contrary argument in a debate or disputation. Chiefly: spec. the action of putting forward objections to a philosophical or theological thesis, esp. as a means of qualifying for a degree; an instance of this. to keep an opponency: to maintain such an argument successfully; to pass an examination of this nature. Cf. oppose v. 1b. Now historical.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > attention and judgement > testing > debate, disputation, argument > academic or public disputation > [noun] > opponent in > office of
opponency1730
1730 N. Bailey et al. Dictionarium Britannicum Opponency, the maintaining a contrary Argument.
1767 J. Balguy Let. 14 Feb. in S. Parr Wks. (1828) VII. 177 Colston has kept a third opponency in the schools with a perquam.
1841 G. Peacock Observ. Statutes Univ. Cambr. 9 When they had kept..two opponencies..they were presented..as candidates for admission ad respondendum quæstioni.
1892 A. G. Little Grey Friars Oxf. (1892) iii. 50 We have no means of checking them [sc. figures] with regard to opponency [for the B.D. degree].
1930 E. Easton Roger Williams iv. 100 Two opponencies and two responsions..were necessary for the degree of A.B.
1996 S. D. Girvin in R. Zimmermann & D. Visser Southern Cross iii. 97 A candidate for the LL D was required to perform two ‘acts’ (or public disputations) and an opponency.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2004; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1727