mask-opposing
|mask-op-pos-ing|
🇺🇸
/ˈmæsk əˌpoʊzɪŋ/
🇬🇧
/ˈmɑːsk əˌpəʊzɪŋ/
against wearing masks
Etymology
'mask-opposing' originates from Modern English as a compound of 'mask' and the present-participle adjective 'opposing'. 'mask' comes from Italian 'maschera' (mask), and 'opposing' derives from Latin verb 'opponere' via Old French/Latin roots where 'ob-' meant 'against' and 'ponere' meant 'to place'.
'mask' entered English from Italian 'maschera' in the 16th century and developed into the modern English 'mask'. 'oppose' comes from Latin 'opponere' via Old French 'opposer'; the present-participle form 'opposing' has been used in English since the modern period. The compound 'mask-opposing' is a contemporary formation using these elements to describe opposition to masks.
Initially the parts referred separately to 'a face covering' ('mask') and 'placing against' (from Latin 'opponere'), and over time the compound came to mean 'being opposed to the use of masks' in contemporary usage.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a person who opposes wearing masks or supports policies against mask use.
The meeting drew several mask-opposers who argued against a new mandate.
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Antonyms
Adjective 1
opposed to wearing face masks or to mask mandates; critical of mask use.
She is mask-opposing and refuses to wear a mask even in crowded places.
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Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/11/04 02:24