*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of oppo

Clipping of opposite number.

2 source sectionsBrief source recordWiktionary original ↗
In this entry · 2 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗
noun

A friend, associate or colleague.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Clipping of opposite number.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "clipping",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "opposite number"
      },
      "expansion": "Clipping of opposite number"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "opposite number",
      "opposite number#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A friend, associate or colleague."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "UK",
        "countable",
        "slang"
      ],
      "recordId": "71248d36041be548360b8167741ccca6322f3bf024ecebf3870e22d9330f373b",
      "rawRecordSha256": "2f5aece4ff0840caf60ad2dcd4e770b354dbfdb3d6e3d4df2cd4afd33bc8b9c8",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 554065
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗
noun

Research into one's opponent's family, friends, and past, which aims to uncover activities or interests which embarrass or discredit them.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Clipping of opposition, or of opposition research as a whole.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "clipping",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "opposition"
      },
      "expansion": "Clipping of opposition"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "opposition",
      "opposition#English"
    ],
    [
      "opposition research",
      "opposition research#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "Research into one's opponent's family, friends, and past, which aims to uncover activities or interests which embarrass or discredit them."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "US",
        "informal",
        "uncountable"
      ],
      "recordId": "c96b3d571b9f7f7d0a06927a3cf8bbfb76c49e4883f818e3dddd06e83285a775",
      "rawRecordSha256": "648918b088431b9fefa4c3c7d1e93a4c245656fc198d14b75b0514e55f06cfb4",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 554066
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
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    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for oppo →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger
Machine-source provenance
Source SHA-256
5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run
73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID
w-b3Bwbw