- 2-minute read
- 3rd December 2014
Word Choice: Oppose vs. Appose
The verbs ‘oppose’ and ‘appose’ sound very similar and can easily be confused. However, ‘oppose’ is pronounced with an ‘uh’ sound at the beginning and ‘appose’ with an ‘ah’ sound.
They also have quite different meanings. You should therefore try your best to use the correct term in any given situation.
‘Oppose’ and ‘Opposite’
The verb ‘oppose’ has two distinct meanings:
- To face something else
- To disagree
You can therefore use ‘opposed’ to talk about the physical position of objects:
The door and window are opposed to one another.
Or ideas that seem to be in disagreement:
The protestors are opposed to the development.
The word ‘opposite’ can thus be used as a preposition describing the position of two objects that are opposed to one another:
The cowboys stood opposite one another in the noon sun.
Alternatively, ‘opposite’ can be used as an adjective when describing something as opposed to something else:
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The shop was on the opposite side of the street.
It can also be used as noun:
Sarah and Fred had little in common: he was her exact opposite!
Appose
The verb ‘appose’ means ‘place side by side’ or ‘juxtapose’:
The two edges were apposed and set in place with a clamp.
This term is rare, though. Unless you are using it in a very specific context, you may want to check that you don’t intend ‘opposed’ instead.
Nor should you get this verb confused with ‘apposite’, which is a common word meaning ‘strikingly appropriate or relevant’:
The use of the creepy music for the graveyard scene was apposite.
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