Other forms: opposed, opposing, opposes
To oppose is to stand publicly against a plan or idea. Oppose the bill, strongly opposed, opposed by residents.
It takes a direct object with no preposition: oppose the plan, not oppose to the plan. Be opposed to something is the passive form and is very common. As opposed to means in contrast with: red as opposed to blue. Note opposition, opponent; and that opposing something publicly is what distinguishes it from merely disliking it, which is why the word appears in every planning dispute.
1verbopposeTo stand publicly against a plan or idea.
“Local residents strongly oppose the plan to build a new runway.”
synonyms: resist, object to
oppose is a standing against.
Also accepted in games: resist
Latin opponere is ob-, against, plus ponere, to place. Oppose, opposite and opponent are the same verb, and opposing something is placing yourself in front of it.
Proto-Indo-European
*tḱey-
Medieval Latin
pono — to put
Latin
ob — before, against
Old French
opposer
Middle English
opposen
English, today
oppose
From Middle English opposen, from Old French opposer, from Latin ob (“before, against”) + Medieval Latin pono (“to put”), taking the place of Latin oppono (“to oppose”).
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA