French Conversation · Level 119
60 words
French word
encontre
Pronunciation
IPA/ɑ̃kɔ̃tʁ/
Meaning
- prepositionagainst
Example
Cette décision va à l'encontre de nos attentes.
This decision goes against our expectations.
More examples
Il a agi à l'encontre de ses principes.
He acted contrary to his principles.
Core concept
Two opposing forces meet head-on, with one pushing against the other.
Common phrases
agir à l'encontre de
act contrary to ___
aller à l'encontre de
go against ___
Similar words
contre: Against a position or action, indicating a lack of agreement.
au contraire de: Expressing the opposite position or meaning of a claim or viewpoint.
en contradiction avec: Contradicting another matter or statement.
Definition in French
S'emploie dans la locution «à l'encontre de» pour signaler qu'une règle, une décision ou une attitude est contraire à quelque chose.
Word origin
The French form encontre comes from Old French encontre, related to contre and ultimately to Latin contra, meaning "against."
Usage tips
- The fixed phrase à l'encontre de belongs mainly to formal or written French, while everyday speech often uses contre or contraire.
Opposites
- en accord avecin agreement with ___preposition
- conformément àin accordance with ___preposition