wider
against
Expresses that something is directed against a person, thing, rule, or principle; it means “against” or “contrary to” and takes the accusative.
EXAMPLE
Sein Verhalten war wider das Gesetz.
His behavior was against the law.
wider
against
wider + accusative
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Meanings
wider Willen
against one's will
Against one's own will or without one's consent.
EXAMPLE
Sie musste wider Willen an der Diskussion teilnehmen.
She had to take part in the discussion against her will.
wider Erwarten
contrary to expectations
Contrary to what one expected.
EXAMPLE
Wider Erwarten bestand er die schwierige Prüfung.
Contrary to expectations, he passed the difficult exam.
wider besseres Wissen
despite knowing better
Although one knows or understands something to be right, one acts or claims otherwise.
EXAMPLE
Er bestritt wider besseres Wissen seine Verantwortung.
Despite knowing better, he denied responsibility.
Usage tips
Accusative after wider
The preposition “wider” takes the accusative. This is especially clear with masculine nouns and possessive pronouns.
EXAMPLE
Er handelte wider den ausdrücklichen Wunsch seiner Eltern.
He acted against his parents' explicit wishes.
Formal style
“Wider” as an independent preposition belongs more to elevated, written, or legal language. In fixed expressions, the word is also common in general texts.
EXAMPLE
Die Entscheidung wurde wider geltendes Recht getroffen.
The decision was made contrary to applicable law.
Fixed expression
“Wider Willen” (against one's will) is usually used as an adverbial complement and describes the circumstances under which someone does or experiences something. The expression is also often used with a possessive pronoun: “wider seinen Willen” (against his will) or “wider ihren Willen” (against her will).
EXAMPLE
Wider ihren Willen musste sie die Verantwortung übernehmen.
Against her will, she had to take on the responsibility.
At the beginning of a sentence
“Wider Erwarten” (contrary to expectations) can appear at the beginning of a sentence and then refers to the entire statement that follows. After this position, the finite verb comes directly in second position.
EXAMPLE
Wider Erwarten gewann unser kleines Team das Finale.
Contrary to expectations, our small team won the final.
Typical collocations
“Wider besseres Wissen” (despite knowing better) is often used with verbs of asserting, denying, or acting. The expression makes it clear that someone disregards their own better knowledge.
EXAMPLE
Sie behauptete wider besseres Wissen, von dem Fehler nichts gewusst zu haben.
Despite knowing better, she claimed that she had known nothing about the mistake.
In real life
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