adversary - a podcast by Merriam-Webster

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 12, 2021 is: adversary \AD-ver-sair-ee\ noun
Adversary is a word for an enemy or opponent.

// The adversaries met at the negotiating table again, hoping to reach an agreement.

[See the entry >](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/adversary)

Examples:

"Large-scale special effects and intrepid derring-do are wedded to themes of clan solidarity, compassion toward adversaries and contrition for past misdeeds in director Cate Shortland's Marvel Comics-derived action adventure." — The Arlington (Virginia) Catholic Herald, 2 Aug. 2021

Did you know?

Adversary comes from Latin advertere, meaning "to turn toward." The vertere of advertere means "to turn" and is the source of a number of English words. Along with obvious derivatives like [inadvertent](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inadvertent) and [adverse](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/adverse) are some surprises, including [anniversary](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/anniversary), [vertebra](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vertebra), and [prose](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prose) (this last coming by way of a Latin contraction of a form of the verb provertere, meaning "to turn forward").

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