archantagonist
|ar-chan-tag-o-nist|
🇺🇸
/ˌɑːrkænˈtæɡənɪst/
🇬🇧
/ˌɑːkænˈtæɡənɪst/
chief opponent
Etymology
'archantagonist' originates from the prefix 'arch-' (from Greek 'arkhē' / 'arkhos') meaning 'chief' or 'principal' combined with 'antagonist' (from Greek 'antagonistēs'), where 'antagonistēs' meant 'opponent' or 'rival'.
'antagonist' came into English via Latin and French from Greek 'antagonistēs'; the modern compound 'archantagonist' is a later English formation formed by combining the productive prefix 'arch-' with 'antagonist' to denote the chief opponent.
Initially these elements individually meant 'chief' and 'opponent'; their combined use in English preserved that basic sense, yielding 'chief opponent' or 'principal adversary' in modern usage.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the principal or chief antagonist; the main opponent (especially in a story, drama, or conflict).
The detective finally uncovered the identity of the archantagonist who had manipulated events from the start.
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Noun 2
a particularly extreme or arch opponent in a nonliterary sense (e.g., a political archantagonist of a policy or leader).
She became the archantagonist of the reform, leading the public campaign against it.
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Last updated: 2025/10/04 16:18