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Added 9 October 2026

enemy

/ˈɛnəmi/ noun

In Latin: inimīcus Wiktionary

noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about enemy at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

An opposing military force.
the enemy attacked at dawn
An armed adversary (especially a member of an opposing military force).
a soldier must be prepared to kill his enemies
Any hostile group of people.
he viewed lawyers as the real enemy

Origin

From Middle English enemy, enemye, enmy, borrowed from Old French enemi, anemi (Modern French ennemi), from Latin inimīcus, from in- (“not”) + amīcus (“friend”). Displaced Middle English fend (“enemy”), from Old English fēond (“enemy”), which survived into Modern English as fiend, but with a different meaning. Doublet of inimic.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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