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opposition
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
opposition
noun
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES
an opposition leader
▪ The opposition leader accused the government of not being able to control unemployment.
an opposition party (=a party that is not in power)
▪ The tax increase was criticized by opposition parties.
an opposition politician (=belonging to the party that is not in power – used in some political systems)
▪ Opposition politicians argued that there was not enough reason to go to war.
bitter opposition
▪ The new tax aroused bitter opposition.
determined opposition
▪ The library was closed down despite determined opposition.
encounter opposition/resistance
▪ The government has encountered strong opposition to its plans to raise income tax.
express opposition to sth (=say that you oppose someone or something)
▪ Local people have expressed their opposition to plans for a new airport.
face opposition (=deal with strong disagreement)
▪ The government faced opposition from the Liberal Democrats.
fierce attack/opposition/criticism etc
▪ The government’s policies came under fierce attack.
implacable opposition
▪ The government faces implacable opposition on the issue of nuclear waste.
intense opposition
▪ Locals have voiced intense opposition to plans to expand the airport.
meet with opposition/disapproval etc
▪ His comments have met with widespread opposition.
principled stand/opposition/objection etc
▪ He took a principled stand against the legislation.
provoke opposition
▪ The government's proposals provoked widespread backbench opposition.
rival/opposing/opposition fans (=fans who support different teams competing against each other)
▪ There were fights between rival fans outside the stadium.
stiff competition/opposition
▪ Graduates face stiff competition in getting jobs.
strong opposition
▪ There had been strong opposition to the scheme from the national park authority.
the opposition coalition (=forming an opposition party to the government)
▪ The opposition coalition's strength increased from 37 to 53 seats.
vehement opposition/criticism/hostility etc
▪ Despite vehement opposition, the Act became law.
whip up interest/opposition/support etc
▪ They’ll do anything to whip up a bit of interest in a book.
COLLOCATIONS FROM CORPUS
■ ADJECTIVE
fierce
▪ There is the fierce opposition voiced by Col.
▪ The levy, which began on January 1, has met with fierce opposition from the trade unions.
▪ There was also fierce local opposition in June to plans to build the world's largest nuclear waste facility near Krasnoyarsk.
▪ Initial reports that the bond was to be fixed at £10,000 stirred fierce opposition to the scheme.
▪ Yet live Monday games attracted fierce opposition from many Football League managers.
▪ Expansion of either now faces fierce opposition from environmentalists.
▪ The Christians faced fierce persecution and opposition, especially from a more numerous religious group known as the Gnostics.
local
▪ But local opposition groups still protest against the appropriation of their localities through this usage by political and commercial forces.
▪ Despite all these safeguards and its lopsided superiority over local opposition, the Machine never fails to run scared.
▪ It's aroused a little local opposition.
▪ Other trials have been abandoned in the face of local opposition.
▪ There was also fierce local opposition in June to plans to build the world's largest nuclear waste facility near Krasnoyarsk.
▪ William Denny recommended that the local opposition should be bought out at the huge cost of £720,000.
▪ It aroused much local opposition but the directives came into force, technically at least, from I January this year.
▪ Unlike Heathrow or Amsterdam Schiphol, there is no strong local opposition to more flights.
main
▪ The main opposition parties had boycotted the elections.
▪ The next day the main opposition parties joined in the calls for Ershad's arrest and students threatened to storm his home.
▪ Called by the five main opposition parties and by trade unions, the protest took place with government consent.
political
▪ The political opposition, on the other hand, is not convinced.
▪ I failed then to sense the depth of local, commercial and political opposition.
▪ Finding ways of soothing political opposition to the dumping of highly radioactive waste could prove more difficult than solving the scientific problems.
▪ They have yet to learn the meaning and significance of constitutional political opposition.
▪ Punk was at its zenith and political and cultural oppositions were intense.
▪ The killings are part of a campaign of intimidation and elimination of supporters of the political opposition.
▪ Kostunica wrote his doctoral thesis in 1976 attesting to the vital role played by political opposition groups in the West.
▪ In certain states, broadcasters have been disciplined for reporting political opposition.
public
▪ However, there is intense public opposition both to incinerators and to moving the old shells and bombs around.
▪ But public opposition has increased since last summer.
▪ That cabinet came as a huge disappointment to the public and opposition, contributing much to the present unstable atmosphere.
▪ He blamed the collapse of confidence on hysteria heaped upon the public by the opposition political parties.
▪ And this brings me to my fourth point, and that is the notion of domestic - public opposition.
▪ There has been little public opposition to the program.
▪ Of all the possibilities of interventive reproduction, none has been the subject of more public opposition than surrogacy.
▪ The tax was scrapped the following year because of public opposition and implementation problems.
stiff
▪ He is called upon both to defend his faith against stiff opposition and to spread it among his friends.
▪ But that idea has run into stiff opposition.
▪ Union leaders warned that the group's attempt to cut jobs could face stiff opposition.
▪ It is likely to face stiff opposition from trade unions, including the teachers' union, if it does so.
strong
▪ Mr Major has repeatedly made clear his strong opposition changing the voting system.
▪ But there is strong opposition to that spot: Critics say it would destroy the vista.&038;.
▪ The strongest opposition is likely to come from supporters of nuclear power, which was cut sharply in the Clinton budget.
▪ In each so-called cooperative the attention paid to social issues, work conditions, and community welfare was meeting strong opposition.
▪ However, strong opposition resulted in rejection of this Bill despite his excellent testimony as an expert witness.
▪ Among the spots on the battlefield where the attacking forces encountered strong opposition was a peach orchard on the Union left.
▪ Any attempt by the mining company to undertake operations seems certain to run into strong opposition.
▪ Both plans were dropped because of the strong opposition of mayors, congressmen, and urban lobbying groups.
■ NOUN
candidate
▪ It carries an aura of respect and makes the main opposition candidate look even more of an outsider.
▪ Probably only an opposition candidate who was himself a nationalist should have led the final resistance.
▪ Among the successful opposition candidates was Hitoshi Motoshima, who was narrowly elected to a fourth term as mayor of Nagasaki.
▪ The opposition candidate, Mr Dharam Vir, was charged yesterday with the murder of a Congress worker.
▪ Even when an opposition candidate seemed to have won, it could be taken from him.
▪ Last week, gunmen kidnapped opposition candidate Claudy Myrthil.
▪ No opposition candidate won a seat.
coalition
▪ The opposition coalition criticized the tax-free zones as exploiting women textile workers and as creating dependence on foreign countries.
▪ Leaders of the opposition coalition Zajedno, or Together, address the crowd.
▪ Their failure also appeared to reduce the chance of creating an effective opposition coalition.
▪ The newly formed opposition coalition insisted it was the majority and kept the original day and time.
▪ Instead, the center-right opposition coalition that is leading the street demonstrations is demanding early elections.
▪ An identical opposition coalition had backed the victorious Rengo-no-kai candidate in the Nara prefecture by-election on Feb. 9.
▪ With the opposition coalition holding firmly together, more history-making is likely in the coming weeks.
group
▪ Fourteen women were gang raped in May 1990, when paramilitary soldiers raided five villages in Assam in search of armed opposition groups.
▪ On Sept. 11 Kravchuk met leaders of opposition groups, when topics under discussion included a transitional government and a new constitution.
▪ They also made it clear that the party fears that New Forum and other opposition groups could turn into mass movements.
▪ The decision, however, was rejected by opposition groups.
▪ Amnesty International opposes abuses by opposition groups - hostage taking, torture and killing of prisoners and other arbitrary killings.
▪ It is not perhaps surprising that the source of substitution should have come from the traditional opposition group, the Bani Hashem.
▪ Often they were targeted simply because they lived in zones of armed conflict between government forces and opposition groups.
▪ Two opposition groups were formed in response to the constitutional changes.
leader
▪ Mr Adamec had talks with the opposition leader, Mr Vaclav Havel, on the cabinet lineup.
▪ When it went off track, opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu pulled roughly even.
▪ Then Tymoshenko and other opposition leaders disagreed over whether to enter into talks with Kuchma or organize a popular referendum against him.
▪ They also sought to use their influence with Draskovic and other opposition leaders, cautioning them against agitating for further violence.
▪ For their part, opposition leaders demanded that Mr Fujimori step down immediately in favour of a transition government.
▪ In July Namaliu outmanoeuvred opposition leader Paias Wingti yet again in a vote of no confidence.
▪ Rade Markovic is being questioned about a car crash in 1999 in which opposition leader Vuk Draskovic was injured.
▪ The parallel figures for the opposition leader are 15 % and 60 %.
movement
▪ Censorship was not legally defined so the opposition movement had to tread carefully.
▪ The fundamentalist opposition movements that extol the veil are reactivating this age-old connection.
▪ The majority of these women have remained unemployed and are now working for the opposition movement in a variety of ways.
▪ Such a government should include members drawn from the existing parliament, the nonviolent opposition movement and rebel leader Kabila himself.
▪ The opposition movement, Birlik, was banned from taking part, as it was not officially constituted as a political party.
▪ In fact, the opposition movements, whatever cause they espouse, use them widely to push their propaganda.
▪ The burgeoning opposition movement here has also extended itself to the army.
▪ Anwar became a symbol for the opposition movement, and his wife, Wan Aziza Ismail, formed Keadilan.
party
▪ The four major opposition parties reportedly decided to boycott the Nov. 29 elections in protest at alleged unfair election conditions.
▪ Every one of the quintet saw the opposition party gain strength during his final period in office.
▪ The Liberal Democrats' success unleashed speculation about pacts, deals or at least closer co-operation between the two opposition parties.
▪ By Christmas all three main opposition parties had dissolved themselves.
▪ The nature of electoral conflict changed as the Labour party succeeded the Liberal as the main opposition party to the Conservatives.
▪ The opposition parties will be invited to make individual contributions on that day, and to send a small number of delegates.
▪ Talks between the government and opposition parties in the summer and autumn of 1989 led to improvements in the detention centres.
politician
▪ He may be judged excessively optimistic, however, if not utterly desperate, in seeking the votes of leading opposition politicians.
▪ S.-financed program helped opposition politician Rafael Angel Calderon Fournier win the presidency in 1990.
▪ The action is the latest in a series of assaults on journalists, judges and opposition politicians.
▪ Vilified by opposition politicians, Bryan lost to McKinley in 1896 and again in 1900.
▪ He distracts attention with homophobic rants and attacks on opposition politicians and journalists.
▪ An opposition politician, Chee Soon Juan, was jailed for 12 days in 1999 for speaking in public without a permit.
▪ In recent weeks, many opposition politicians had campaigned for guarantees of future immunity from prosecution on charges of corruption.
▪ Kececiler's statement was condemned by opposition politicians and the press.
■ VERB
arouse
▪ Predictably, this putative development has aroused considerable opposition within public sector higher education.
▪ The project aroused tremendous community opposition in the mid-1980s and was initially denied a permit by the California Energy Commission.
▪ It's aroused a little local opposition.
▪ As might be expected, such a policy aroused enormous controversy and opposition, and was later modified.
▪ It aroused much local opposition but the directives came into force, technically at least, from I January this year.
▪ Even where an application does arouse some opposition, issues of public amenity rarely arise.
encounter
▪ Even a government with substantial majority support would have encountered the same opposition.
▪ You've probably never encountered opposition before, because you've deliberately gone after the weak who couldn't fight back.
▪ They encountered no opposition though Ranulf maintained that he had seen a rider watching them as they crossed the bridge at Dalmeny.
express
▪ At our Sunday Mass, you can see how we all come together to express our silent opposition to the regime.
▪ The secret ballot gave these students their first free opportunity to express opposition.
▪ Some consultants have also expressed their opposition.
▪ The imprecise nature of the emotions expressed requires the opposition of formal restraint to produce the dynamism necessary to the convincing poem.
▪ Indeed, all the consultants, doctors, local health councils and general practitioners have expressed their opposition.
face
▪ The reforms will have to be passed by the national conference where they will face considerable opposition.
▪ But they face opposition from a lobbying powerhouse of credit card companies, banks, auto companies and retail chains.
▪ Gramm faces token opposition in the Republican primary scheduled for March 12.
lead
▪ His son was now to take charge and lead the opposition to Lij Yasu.
▪ Liberty-loving Patrick Henry led the opposition to disestablishment.
▪ The new show, in which leading opposition figures have been charged, is technically within the law.
▪ So long as Stravinsky had led the opposition on behalf of tonality, art music had broadened and deepened in expressive range.
▪ And yet it looks doomed to failure, thwarted by a United States-#led opposition.
▪ As a senator, Bob Dole led the opposition to this reform effort.
▪ Brown led the opposition campaign, and later criticized the media for creating a negative image of the Legislature.
meet
▪ These are likely to meet with opposition on the grounds of spoiling favourite views.
▪ In each so-called cooperative the attention paid to social issues, work conditions, and community welfare was meeting strong opposition.
▪ On Christmas Day, he met the opposition head-on.
▪ Still the plan met intense opposition.
▪ The proposals were met with opposition from across the political spectrum.
▪ That met a lot of opposition from different sources.
▪ The levy, which began on January 1, has met with fierce opposition from the trade unions.
▪ Before they start down the court to meet the opposition, they warm up.
overcome
▪ In each they struggled with considerable success to overcome that opposition.
▪ By her patience and charity she eventually overcame opposition and became the advisor and dearest friend of the whole household.
▪ Our ancestors were somehow able to overcome all the opposition that stood in their way.
▪ But he could not overcome strong opposition from anti-abortion activists in the party.
run
▪ Ironically, when Leicester did run at the opposition, the previously secure Quins looked vulnerable.
▪ But he said that the request is likely to run into opposition unless efforts to overhaul the program are completed.
▪ But although test boreholes were successfully sunk at Altnabreac in Caithness in November 1975, the programme quickly ran into opposition elsewhere.
▪ But that idea has run into stiff opposition.
▪ Vogts can not be accused of running away from top-class opposition.
▪ His political views were closely akin to those of the monarchists, and he ran into immediate opposition ii, Congress.
▪ Not surprisingly Teetotalism at first ran into opposition from some Nonconformists who saw it as a rival pseudo-religion.
▪ Newlands' bill, as expected, ran into immediate opposition.
PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
be loud in your praise/opposition/support etc
▪ Nevertheless, both my master and Agrippa were loud in their praise of my martial prowess.
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
▪ Opposition to the war grew rapidly.
▪ Despite strong opposition, the law was passed.
▪ In the last 17 games, the Red Wings have outscored the opposition 36-8.
▪ Plans for the new stadium will no doubt face a lot of opposition.
▪ Seles had reached the semi-finals without really facing any serious opposition.
▪ The opposition fought hard, but had no chance of winning.
▪ The team won all their games against local opposition, but lost in the international competition.
▪ Thousands of people plan to gather on Sunday to express their opposition to the government's handling of the crisis.
▪ Widespread opposition to the military government led to violence in the streets.
EXAMPLES FROM CORPUS
▪ All but the extreme nationalist opposition is portrayed as traitorous.
▪ Anwar became a symbol for the opposition movement, and his wife, Wan Aziza Ismail, formed Keadilan.
▪ But he deludes himself in thinking this reflects support for himself when, in fact, it reflects discomfort with the opposition.
▪ Finding ways of soothing political opposition to the dumping of highly radioactive waste could prove more difficult than solving the scientific problems.
▪ In practice the opposition was the beneficiary of the parity reform.
▪ The modern militant opposition forces who claim power in the name of the sacred are only replaying that scenario.
▪ The Senate votes of confidence were boycotted by the opposition on the grounds that the legislative role of parliament was being restricted.
▪ The strongest opposition is likely to come from supporters of nuclear power, which was cut sharply in the Clinton budget.
The Collaborative International Dictionary
Opposition

Opposition \Op`po*si"tion\, n. [F., fr. L. oppositio. See Opposite.]

  1. The act of opposing; an attempt to check, restrain, or defeat; resistance.

    The counterpoise of so great an opposition.
    --Shak.

    Virtue which breaks through all opposition.
    --Milton.

  2. The state of being placed over against; situation so as to front something else.
    --Milton.

  3. Repugnance; contrariety of sentiment, interest, or purpose; antipathy.
    --Shak.

  4. That which opposes; an obstacle; specifically, the aggregate of persons or things opposing; hence, in politics and parliamentary practice, the party opposed to the party in power.

  5. (Astron.) The situation of a heavenly body with respect to another when in the part of the heavens directly opposite to it; especially, the position of a planet or satellite when its longitude differs from that of the sun 180[deg]; -- signified by the symbol ?; as, ? [Jupiter] [Sun], opposition of Jupiter to the sun.

  6. (Logic) The relation between two propositions when, having the same subject and predicate, they differ in quantity, or in quality, or in both; or between two propositions which have the same matter but a different form.

Related phrases:
Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary
opposition

late 14c., an astrological term for the situation of two heavenly bodies exactly across from one another in the heavens, from Old French oposicion (12c.) or directly from Latin oppositionem (nominative oppositio) "act of opposing, a placing against," noun of action from past participle stem of opponere "set against" (see opponent). Meaning "that which is opposite something else" is from 1540s; meaning "contrast, antagonism" first attested 1580s; sense of "political party opposed to the one in power" is from 1704. Related: Oppositional.

Wiktionary
opposition

n. 1 The action of opposing or of being in conflict. 2 An opposite or contrasting position. 3 An opponent in some form of competition.

Related phrases:
WordNet
opposition

  1. n. the action of opposing something that you disapprove or disagree with; "he encountered a general feeling of resistance from many citizens"; "despite opposition from the newspapers he went ahead" [syn: resistance]

  2. the relation between opposed entities [syn: oppositeness]

  3. the act of opposing groups confronting each other; "the government was not ready for a confrontation with the unions"; "the invaders encountered stiff opposition" [syn: confrontation]

  4. a contestant that you are matched against [syn: opponent, opposite]

  5. a body of people united in opposing something

  6. a direction opposite to another

  7. an armed adversary (especially a member of an opposing military force); "a soldier must be prepared to kill his enemies" [syn: enemy, foe, foeman]

  8. a political party opposed to the party in power and prepared to replace it if elected; "Her Majesty's loyal opposition"

Related phrases:
Wikipedia
Opposition

Opposition may mean or refer to:

  • Opposition (planets), a term describing the position of a celestial body
  • Opposition (chess), a term describing the position of the kings relative to each other
  • Opposition proceeding, an administrative process available under some patent or trademark laws
  • Opposition of the thumb, the location of the thumb opposite to the fingers so that the hand can grasp objects
  • Square of Opposition, a type of logic diagram
  • Opposition (boolean algebra), two terms with a shared literal, one positive, the other negative
  • Binary opposition, a pair of related terms that are opposite in meaning
Opposition (parliamentary)

Parliamentary opposition is a form of political opposition to a designated government, particularly in a Westminster-based parliamentary system. Note that this article uses the term government as it is used in Parliamentary systems, i.e. meaning the administration or the cabinet rather than the state. The title of "Official Opposition" usually goes to the largest of the parties sitting in opposition with its leader being given the title " Leader of the Opposition".

In First Past the Post assemblies, where the tendency to gravitate into two major parties or party groupings operates strongly, government and opposition roles can go to the two main groupings serially in alternation.

The more proportional a representative system, the greater the likelihood of multiple political parties appearing in the parliamentary debating chamber. Such systems can foster multiple "opposition" parties which may have little in common and minimal desire to form a united bloc opposed to the government of the day.

Some well-organised democracies, dominated long-term by a single faction, reduce their parliamentary opposition to tokenism. Singapore exemplifies a case of a numerically weak opposition; South Africa under the apartheid regime maintained a long-term imbalance in the parliament. In some cases tame "opposition" parties are created by the governing groups in order to create an impression of democratic debate.

Opposition (Malaysia)

The Opposition in Malaysia fulfils the same function as the official opposition in other Commonwealth of Nations monarchies. It is seen as the alternative government and the existing administration's main opponent at a general election.

The current Opposition Leader at a Federal level is Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.

Opposition (Croatia)

In Croatia, the Opposition is all of the political parties represented in Parliament that are not a part of the Government supported by the parliamentary majority.

The Leader of the Opposition is the unofficial title held by the leader of the largest party of the opposition. Usually it is the leader of one of the two major political parties in Croatia, the centre-right Croatian Democratic Union or the centre-left Social Democratic Party.

Opposition (Australia)

The Opposition in Australia fulfils the same function as the official opposition in other Commonwealth of Nations monarchies. It is seen as the alternative government and the existing administration's main opponent at a general election. By convention, the Opposition Leader comes from the House of Representatives, as does the deputy, although the Government and Opposition will also both have leaders in the Senate.

The current Opposition at a Federal level is the centre-left Australian Labor Party, which is led by Bill Shorten.

The Opposition at the level of the States and Territories are:

  • Australian Capital Territory: Liberal Party of Australia, led by Jeremy Hanson.
  • New South Wales: Australian Labor Party (NSW Branch), led by Luke Foley.
  • Northern Territory: Australian Labor Party, led by Michael Gunner.
  • Queensland: Liberal National Party, led by Tim Nicholls.
  • South Australia: Liberal Party of Australia (SA Division), led by Steven Marshall.
  • Tasmania: Australian Labor Party, led by Bryan Green.
  • Victoria: Liberal Party of Australia, led by Matthew Guy.
  • Western Australia: Australian Labor Party, led by Mark McGowan.
Opposition (politics)

In politics, the opposition comprises one or more political parties or other organized groups that are opposed to the government (or, in American English, the administration), party or group in political control of a city, region, state or country. It is the party that goes against another party. The degree of opposition varies according to political conditions - for example, across authoritarian and liberal systems where opposition may be repressed or welcomed.

Opposition (chess)

Chess kll45.svg

Chess d45.svg

Chess kdl45.svg

In chess, opposition (or direct opposition) is the situation occurring when two kings face each other on a rank or file, with only one square in-between them. In such a situation, the player not having to move is said to "have the opposition" . It is a special type of zugzwang and most often occurs in endgames with only kings and pawns . The side with the move may have to move the king away, potentially allowing the opposing king access to important squares. Taking the opposition is a means to an end (normally forcing the opponent's king to move to a weaker position) and is not always the best thing to do.

There are extensions of direct opposition, such as diagonal opposition and distant opposition, which can be conducive to reaching direct opposition. All three types may be referred to simply as opposition if the type is unambiguous in context.

Opposition (Queensland)

Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition in the Australian state of Queensland comprises the largest party or coalition of parties not in Government. It is so styled to demonstrate that although it opposes the Government, it remains loyal to the Queen. The Opposition's purpose is to hold the Government to account and constitute a "Government-in-waiting" should the existing Government fall. To that end, a Leader of the Opposition and Shadow Ministers for the various government departments question the Premier and Ministers on Government policy and administration, and formulate the policy the Opposition would pursue in Government.

At times, the Opposition consisted of more than one party, notably when the Coalition parties (the state Nationals and Liberals) were in Opposition. Those state parties entered Opposition in 1996 and merged to form the Liberal National Party of Queensland (LNP) in 2008, National Leader Lawrence Springborg becoming Leader of the LNP and remaining Leader of the Opposition.

The current Leader of the Opposition is LNP Leader Tim Nicholls, and Deb Frecklington is the Deputy Leader. Their elections on May 5 2016 came after the former Leader of the Opposition Lawrence Springborg called for a leadership spill after media speculation about his position.

Opposition (Myanmar)

Opposition is the political parties represented in the Assembly of the Union that are not in government either on their own or as part of a governing coalition.

Opposition (Altars EP)

Opposition is the first extended play from Altars. Strike First Records released the album on July 19, 2011.

Opposition (Western Australia)

The Opposition was a political grouping in Western Australia in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In the Western Australian Parliament, there were initially no official parties, government being carried out by a loose coalition of members with similar interests. The pre- federation Legislative Assembly (1890–1901) had only one premier, John Forrest. Those members who supported him were generally referred to as the Pro-Forrest group whilst the majority of others were referred to as the Opposition.

For some years following federation, this continued, even though, at times the non Pro-Forrest group were in government, thus having the anomalous situation where the Opposition (Party) was in fact the Government.

As well as the Pro-Forrest and the Opposition members there were a small number (initially) who supported the emerging Labor Party as well as a few who considered themselves to be non aligned to any grouping, collectively referred to as Independents.

In the early post federation years, government in Western Australia was quite unstable in that all governments until 1906 were minority governments, relying on the support of sufficient independents, (along with a few that from time to time were persuaded to change "sides") to form an effective government. Thus it was in the immediate post-federation period 1901 - 1906, Western Australia had seven changes of government and Premier.

It was not until the Ministerial Party (a carry over from the Pro-Forrest group) led by Sir Newton Moore won the 1906 election that a Party was able to govern in its own right and complete a full term of office.

Opposition (planets)

In positional astronomy, two celestial bodies are said to be in opposition when they are on opposite sides of the sky, viewed from a given place (usually Earth).

A planet (or asteroid or comet) is said to be "in opposition" when it is in opposition to the Sun. Because most orbits in the Solar System are nearly coplanar, this occurs when the Sun, Earth, and the body are approximately in a straight line, that is, Earth and the body are in the same direction as seen from the Sun. The instant of opposition is defined as that when the apparent geocentric celestial longitude of the body differs by 180° from the apparent geocentric longitude of the Sun. At that time, a body is

  • visible almost all night, rising around sunset, culminating around midnight and setting around sunrise

, at Google books

  • at the point in its orbit where it is roughly closest to Earth, making it appear bigger and brighter

, at Google books

  • in apparent retrograde motion

Newcomb and Holden (1890), p. 115

  • nearly completely illuminated; we see a "full planet", analogous to a full moon

Newcomb and Holden (1890), p. 334

  • at the place where the opposition effect increases the reflected light from bodies with unobscured rough surfaces

see references at opposition surge.

Opposition occurs only in superior planets (see the diagram).

The Moon, which orbits Earth rather than the Sun, is in opposition to the Sun at full moon. When it is in exact opposition, a lunar eclipse occurs.

The astronomical symbol for opposition is ☍ (U+260D). Handwritten:

As seen from a planet that is superior, an inferior planet on the opposite side of the Sun is in superior conjunction with the Sun. An inferior conjunction occurs when the two planets lie in a line on the same side of the Sun. At inferior conjunction, the superior planet is "in opposition" to the Sun as seen from the inferior planet (see the diagram).

Related phrases:

Usage examples of "opposition".

The opposition also maintained that such a practice of raising troops was contrary to the oath of coronation, and that all who subscribed were abettors of perjury.

These protected the main bodies by a process of ablation so that to the opposition each man appeared to flare up under fire like a living torch.

Breteuil was obliged to withdraw his opposition, and to acquiesce in this violence.

A warm and acrimonious debate was maintained by the Earl of Ripon, the Duke of Wellington, and other opposition peers on the one hand, and Lord Melbourne and the lord chancellor on the other.

The government resisted this, and Lord John Eussell, with a tone of ridicule and acrimony, offered the motion an ostentatious opposition.

After all, if we coolly consider those arguments which have been bandied about, and retorted with such eagerness and acrimony in the house of commons, and divest them of those passionate tropes and declamatory metaphors which the spirit of opposition alone had produced, we shall find very little left for the subject of dispute, and sometimes be puzzled to discover any material source of disagreement.

Sauveur, without the slightest opposition from the venerable priest, who, far from sharing the anti-christain intolerancy of the clergy in general, said that her profession as an actress had not hindered her from being a good Christian, and that the earth was the common mother of all human beings, as Jesus Christ had been the Saviour of all mankind.

It was ascertained in several cases that this sensitiveness resides in the tip, which transmits an influence causing the adjoining upper part to bend in opposition to geotropism towards the moist object.

The debate continued by adjournment up to February 28th, before any division or amendment took place: the opposition wishing to stop it on the very threshold.

Accordingly, on the 12th of February, on the proposal of the second reading, government opposition was offered: the debate, after an adjournment, was resumed on the 15th, and continued through that day and the next, when the bill was thrown out by an overwhelming majority.

In opposition to the anthropopathism of the Jewish Scriptures, the Alexandrian Jews endeavored to purify the idea of God from all admixture of the Human.

On this admonition he took his departure, revolving in his mind various stratagems whereby the younger Miss Merriville could be excluded from the forthcoming visit to Grosvenor Place without opposition from her masterful sister.

Partly as an example of his opposition to ageism he hired an old woman, Mrs.

Accordingly in his second consulate also both the abettors of the agrarian law had raised themselves to the hope of carrying the measure, and the tribunes, supposing that a matter frequently attempted in opposition to both consuls might be obtained with the assistance at least of one consul, take it up, and the consul remained stedfast in his sentiments.

Notwithstanding, the opposition which had been made to the bill of last year was renewed by the agriculturists on the same grounds as before.