# against

> English word · Preposition · IPA /əˈɡɛnst/ · frequency rank #194

## Definitions
1. In a contrary direction to.
2. In physical opposition to; in collision with.
3. In physical contact with, so as to abut or be supported by.
4. Close to, alongside.
5. In front of; before (a background).
6. In contrast or comparison with.
7. In competition with, versus.
8. Contrary to; in conflict with.
9. In opposition to.
10. Of betting odds, denoting a worse-than-even chance.
11. In exchange for.
12. As counterbalance to.
13. As a charge on.
14. As protection from.
15. In anticipation of; in preparation for (a particular time, event etc.).
16. To be paid now in contrast to the following amount to be paid later under specified circumstances, usually that a movie is made or has started filming.
17. Exposed to.

## Etymology
Etymology tree
▲
Proto-Indo-European *h₁en-
Proto-Indo-European *h₁en-
Proto-Indo-European *h₁én
Proto-Germanic *in
Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰengʰ-der.
Proto-Germanic *ganganąder.?
Proto-Germanic *gagin
Proto-Germanic *in gagin
Proto-West Germanic *in gagin
Old English onġēander.
Middle English ayenes
English against
Formed from Middle English ayenes, agenes, againes (“in opposition to”), a southern variant of agen, or directly from again, either way with adverbial genitive singular ending -es; the parasitic -t was added circa 1350, probably by confusion with the superlative ending -est. By surface analysis, again + -st (excrescent ending).
Cognate with Saterland Frisian juun (“against”), West Frisian tsjin (“against”), Dutch tegen (“against”), German Low German gegen (“against”), German gegen (“against”), Icelandic gegn (“against”).

## Easily confused with
- **again** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/again-vs-against)

## Common misspellings (10)
`aaginst`, `againnst`, `againsst`, `againstt`, `againts`, `agaisnt`, `aganist`, `aggainst`, `agianst`, `gaainst`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/against