adversarial
gb/ˌædvɚsˈɛɹiəl/ us/ˌædvɚsˈɛɹiəl/
C1
English
konfrontatív, kontradiktórius, adverzárius
C1
FORMAL
1
konfrontatív
C1
Usage pattern:
adversarial [relationship/approach/tone]
The negotiations became increasingly adversarial after the deadline was missed.
A tárgyalások egyre konfrontatívabbá váltak, miután kicsúsztak a határidőből.
She tried to avoid an adversarial tone in the meeting.
Igyekezett elkerülni a konfrontatív hangnemet az értekezleten.
The committee's work suffered from an adversarial relationship between the two parties.
Learner examples
The meeting was too adversarial.
A megbeszélés túl konfrontatív volt.
They need a less adversarial approach.
Kevésbé konfrontatív megközelítésre van szükségük.
Common mistake:
Do not confuse adversarial with adverse. Adverse means harmful or unfavorable; adversarial means opposing or confrontational.
Meaning
opposing or confrontational
Collocations
adversarial relationship
|adversarial approach
|adversarial tone
|adversarial stance
|adversarial attitude
|adversarial debate
|adversarial politics
|adversarial negotiation
|adversarial style
|adversarial environment
Synonyms
confrontational (emphasizes open conflict or challenge)
|
antagonistic (emphasizes hostility or active opposition)
|
hostile (stronger; suggests clear unfriendliness or aggression)
|
oppositional (emphasizes being against something, often less hostile)
Antonyms
cooperative (working together rather than against each other)
|
collaborative (emphasizes joint effort toward a shared goal)
|
conciliatory (trying to reduce conflict or make peace)
|
friendly (showing goodwill rather than hostility)
Themes
conflict
|communication
|relationships
|politics
|business
Definition
Opposing someone in a hostile or competitive way instead of cooperating.
Characterized by opposition, conflict, or a confrontational attitude, as between opponents.
C1
LEGAL
2
Usage pattern:
adversarial [system/process/proceeding/hearing]
The United States uses an adversarial legal system in most criminal and civil cases.
Az Egyesült Államokban a legtöbb büntető- és polgári ügyben kontradiktórius rendszer működik.
In an adversarial hearing, each side can challenge the other's evidence.
Kontradiktórius meghallgatáson mindkét fél vitathatja a másik bizonyítékait.
Critics say the adversarial process can be stressful for vulnerable witnesses.
Learner examples
The trial was part of an adversarial legal system.
A per egy kontradiktórius jogrendszerben zajlott.
Each side speaks in an adversarial hearing.
Kontradiktórius tárgyaláson mindkét fél felszólalhat.
Common mistake:
Adversarial in legal contexts describes the structure of the process; it does not necessarily mean the people are personally hostile.
Meaning
based on opposing legal sides
Collocations
adversarial system
|adversarial legal system
|adversarial process
|adversarial proceeding
|adversarial hearing
|adversarial trial
|adversarial litigation
|adversarial justice
|adversarial model
Synonyms
accusatorial (technical legal term, especially contrasted with inquisitorial systems)
|
contest-based (plain-language description of parties competing to prove their case)
|
party-driven (emphasizes that the parties, not the judge, lead the presentation of evidence)
Antonyms
inquisitorial (a legal system where the court or judge takes a more investigative role)
|
non-adversarial (not based on opposing sides arguing against each other)
|
cooperative (emphasizes working together rather than contesting claims)
Themes
law
|courts
|justice
|government
Definition
Used about a legal process where two sides argue against each other before a judge or jury.
In law, describing a system or proceeding in which opposing parties present arguments and evidence to a neutral decision-maker.
C2
TECHNICAL
3
adverzárius
C2
Usage pattern:
adversarial [attack/example/input/prompt/training/testing]
Researchers tested the image classifier with adversarial images that humans could still recognize.
A kutatók olyan adverzárius képekkel tesztelték a képosztályozót, amelyeket az emberek még fel tudtak ismerni.
The security team used adversarial testing to find weaknesses before launch.
A biztonsági csapat adverzárius tesztelést alkalmazott, hogy még az indulás előtt feltárja a gyenge pontokat.
Adversarial prompts can cause a chatbot to ignore safety instructions.
Learner examples
The model failed on an adversarial example.
A modell egy adverzárius példán elbukott.
The team used adversarial testing.
A csapat adverzárius tesztelést használt.
Common mistake:
In AI, adversarial often means intentionally crafted to fool or test a model, not simply unfriendly.
Meaning
designed to challenge systems
Collocations
adversarial attack
|adversarial example
|adversarial input
|adversarial prompt
|adversarial training
|adversarial testing
|adversarial robustness
|adversarial machine learning
|adversarial network
|adversarial data
Synonyms
attack-based (emphasizes the method of attacking a system)
|
malicious (suggests harmful intent, while adversarial can also be used for testing)
|
hostile (broader and less technical; suggests an opposing or harmful source)
|
red-team (used for controlled testing by people acting like attackers)
Antonyms
benign (not harmful or designed to deceive)
|
ordinary (normal input or testing, not specially crafted to exploit weaknesses)
|
cooperative (designed to work with the system rather than challenge it)
Themes
technology
|artificial_intelligence
|computing
|cybersecurity
|machine_learning
Definition
Made to trick, attack, or test a computer system, especially an AI model.
In computing and AI, designed to deceive, manipulate, attack, or test a system by exploiting weaknesses, as if by an opponent.
Grammar
Dictionary form
adversarial
IPA
GB/ˌædvɚsˈɛɹiəl/
US/ˌædvɚsˈɛɹiəl/
Syllables & stress
ad - versari - al (3 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (versari)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: adversarial
Expressions
adversarial approach
1/ˌædvɚsˈɛɹiəl əpɹˈoʊt͡ʃ/
fixed phrase
formal
confrontational method
A way of handling something by acting against others instead of working with them.
Examples
- The mayor rejected an adversarial approach and invited critics to join the planning committee.
- An adversarial approach to customer complaints can damage a brand quickly.
- The coach's adversarial approach motivated some players but discouraged others.
Learner examples
- He used an adversarial approach.
- An adversarial approach may make the problem worse.
adversarial attack
1/ˌædvɚsˈɛɹiəl ətˈæk/
fixed phrase
technical
system-fooling attack
A special attack that tries to trick an AI or computer system.
Examples
- A small change to the image caused an adversarial attack on the classifier.
- The researchers measured how often the model resisted adversarial attacks.
- Voice assistants can be vulnerable to adversarial attacks hidden in audio.
Learner examples
- The AI failed after an adversarial attack.
- They tested the model against adversarial attacks.
adversarial example
1/ˌædvɚsˈɛɹiəl ɪɡzˈæmpəl/
fixed phrase
technical
input crafted to mislead
A test item made to trick an AI model into giving the wrong answer.
Examples
- The stop sign image looked normal to humans, but it was an adversarial example for the model.
- Adversarial examples reveal weaknesses in systems that seem highly accurate on standard tests.
- The team generated adversarial examples to improve the classifier.
Learner examples
- This picture is an adversarial example.
- The model made a mistake on the adversarial example.
adversarial legal system
1/ˌædvɚsˈɛɹiəl lˈiɡəl sˈɪstəm/
fixed phrase
legal
opposing-sides court system
A court system where two sides argue their cases and a judge or jury decides.
Examples
- England and Wales have an adversarial legal system.
- In an adversarial legal system, lawyers for each side control much of how evidence is presented.
- Supporters argue that an adversarial legal system protects defendants by allowing strong challenges to the prosecution's case.
Learner examples
- The country uses an adversarial legal system.
- Lawyers are important in an adversarial legal system.
adversarial machine learning
1/ˌædvɚsˈɛɹiəl məʃˈin lˈɚnɪŋ/
fixed phrase
technical
machine learning under attack
The study of how AI models can be attacked or fooled and how to protect them.
Examples
- Adversarial machine learning has become more important as AI systems are used in security-critical settings.
- The course covers privacy, robustness, and adversarial machine learning.
- Her research in adversarial machine learning focuses on defending image classifiers.
Learner examples
- She studies adversarial machine learning.
- Adversarial machine learning helps protect AI systems.
adversarial process
1/ˌædvɚsˈɛɹiəl pɹˈɑsˌɛs/
fixed phrase
formal
contest-based decision process
A process where two sides argue against each other so someone else can decide.
Examples
- The adversarial process gives both sides a chance to test the evidence.
- Some family courts try to reduce the harm caused by an adversarial process.
- Academic debate can be an adversarial process without becoming personal.
Learner examples
- The court uses an adversarial process.
- Both sides speak in the adversarial process.
adversarial relationship
1/ˌædvɚsˈɛɹiəl ɹilˈeɪʃənʃˌɪp/
fixed phrase
formal
conflict-based relationship
A relationship in which people or groups act like opponents.
Examples
- The company has an adversarial relationship with the regulator.
- Years of disputes created an adversarial relationship between the union and management.
- The new director wants to replace the adversarial relationship with a more cooperative one.
Learner examples
- They have an adversarial relationship.
- We need a less adversarial relationship.
adversarial training
1/ˌædvɚsˈɛɹiəl tɹˈeɪnɪŋ/
fixed phrase
technical
training with challenging inputs
A way to train AI with difficult trick examples so it becomes harder to fool.
Examples
- Adversarial training improved the model's performance on noisy images.
- The lab used adversarial training to make the speech-recognition system more robust.
- Adversarial training can be expensive because it requires generating difficult examples.
Learner examples
- Adversarial training made the model stronger.
- The team used adversarial training.