A Latin adverb and preposition (and prefix), meaning ‘against,’ ‘over against,’ ‘opposite,’ ‘in front of,’ orig. ‘in comparison with’: used in the phrase per contra, and, abbreviated, in pro and con; also in various legal phrases, as contra bonos mores; usually as a prefix in words taken from the Latin or Romance languages, or formed analogously in English. In introducing a legal citation it means ‘to the contrary.’ See contra-.A prefix of Latin origin, meaning ‘against,’ ‘over against,’ ‘opposite’; doublet of counter-. See contra and counter-.n. The contrary or opposite side or thing: in bookkeeping, the opposite side or column of an account; especially the right-hand or credit side (in which appear the items against the person whose books are kept).n. In organ-building, in the names of stops, indicating a stop whose tones are an octave below the pitch of the keys used: as, contragamba, etc.