opposition.

1. A configuration in which a celestial body appears opposite another, especially opposite the Sun as seen from Earth.

2. Resistance, disagreement, or action directed against someone or something.

3. A relation of contrast or placement against another thing.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• Mars at opposition
• planetary opposition

On the page

Mars reached opposition while the observatory was still under repair.

The chart marked opposition as a viewing configuration, not an approach to collision.

Usage notes

Primary category: sci-fi. Forms: Singular opposition; plural oppositions. Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings.