1
: facing the observer or opponent
2
: having the base narrower than the top
an obverse leaf
3
: constituting the obverse of something : opposite
obversely
adverb
1
: the side of a coin or currency note bearing the chief device and lettering
broadly
: a front or principal surface
2
: a counterpart having the opposite orientation or force
their rise was merely the obverse of the Empire's fall—
A. J. Toynbee
A. J. Toynbee3
: a proposition inferred immediately from another by denying the opposite of what the given proposition affirms
the obverse of "all A is B" is "no A is not B"
Did you know?
Heads or tails? If you called heads, obverse is the word for you. Since the 17th century, we've been using obverse for the front side of coins (usually the side depicting the head or bust of a prominent person). The opposite of this sense of obverse is reverse, the back or tails side of a coin. Since the 19th century, obverse has referred to an opposing counterpart or an opposite. Additionally, it can be an adjective meaning "facing the observer or opponent" or "being a counterpart or complement."
Synonyms
Examples of obverse in a Sentence
Noun
joy and its obverse, sadness
We thought they would be pleased with our decision. We have learned, however, that the obverse is true.
Recent Examples on the Web
Jordan D. Brown, Baltimore Sun, 3 Aug. 2023
The answer, perhaps, was shame: What Ernaux seemed to have understood from the start is that shame is the obverse side of truth.
—Rachel Cusk, New York Times, 2 May 2023
Ross Perlin, Foreign Affairs, 23 Apr. 2024
But the two scary-sounding facts have happy-sounding obverses.
—Dominic Pino, National Review, 10 Jan. 2024
See all Example Sentences for obverse 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Adjective
The obverse side will still feature the portrait of former President George Washington by Laura Gardin Fraser.
—Jordan D. Brown, Baltimore Sun, 3 Aug. 2023
The answer, perhaps, was shame: What Ernaux seemed to have understood from the start is that shame is the obverse side of truth.
—Rachel Cusk, New York Times, 2 May 2023
Noun
According to one estimate, 96 percent of the world’s population speaks just four percent of all languages, which means that the striking obverse is also true: just four percent of the world’s population speaks 96 percent of all languages.
—Ross Perlin, Foreign Affairs, 23 Apr. 2024
But the two scary-sounding facts have happy-sounding obverses.
—Dominic Pino, National Review, 10 Jan. 2024
See all Example Sentences for obverse
Dictionary Entries Near obverse
Cite this Entry
“Obverse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/obverse. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share