Meaning & use
obverse
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Meanings
nouncountablespecialist
The front face of a coin, medal or banknote, usually the side that carries the main picture or portrait.
Grammar: Usually singular and used with the: the obverse of the coin.
Patterns
- the obverse of a coin
- on the obverse
The obverse of the coin shows the head of the king.
A tiny star is stamped on the obverse of the medal.
Collectors check the obverse for scratches before the reverse.
nounsingularformalfigurative
The other side or counterpart of a fact, idea or situation, especially one that complements or contrasts with it.
Grammar: Almost always the obverse of something.
Patterns
- the obverse of something
Pride is the obverse of shame in many cultures.
Her cheerfulness at work has an obverse: she is quiet and anxious at home.
Security is often the obverse of freedom.
adjectivebefore a nountechnical
Facing toward the viewer, or being the matching counterpart of something else.
Grammar: Used mostly in technical writing: the obverse side.
Patterns
- the obverse side
- the obverse face
The obverse side of the stamp carries a portrait.
Her argument and its obverse position are equally strong.
Word forms
| plural | obverses |
|---|
Common combinations
- obverse and reverse
- The obverse and reverse of the coin have different designs.
- the obverse of the coin
- The obverse of the coin carries a date.
- obverse side
- The obverse side is the front of the medal.
- the obverse of
- Hope is the obverse of fear.
- obverse face
- The obverse face shows an eagle.
Synonyms and how they differ
- front
- Front is the everyday word, while obverse is used mainly for coins, medals and stamps.
- heads
- Heads is the casual name for the obverse of a coin when tossing it, while obverse is the formal term.
- flip side
- Flip side is informal and means the opposite aspect of something, so it matches the figurative sense but not the coin sense.
- counterpart
- Counterpart means something that corresponds to another thing, while the obverse is specifically its other face.
Opposites
Word family
- obversely adverb
- in an opposite or counterpart way
- obversion noun
- a logical process of changing a statement into its equivalent negative form
- reverse noun
- the back side, the opposite of the obverse
Commonly confused: obverse or converse? obverse or obtuse?
obverse vs converse
Converse can mean the opposite of a statement. Obverse means the front face of an object or the other side of an idea.
obverse vs obtuse
Obtuse means slow to understand or describing an angle over 90 degrees; it only looks like obverse.
Practice
On this coin, the ___ shows a portrait and the reverse shows a building.
Choose one answer.
The obverse is the front face with the main design. Verso means the back of a page, and the edge and rim are not faces.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “obverse”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.