Now it means the opposite, with two recent reminders in the news.

VOA: special.2009.02.28

It is on the west bank of the Nile River,opposite Luxor.

VOA: special.2011.03.08

(...) She says limiting the size of containers will not solve the problem, it will have the opposite effect.

VOA: standard.2009.10.15

Otherwise it will have the opposite effect of excluding large chunks of poor people and they could become even worse off than they are today,"

VOA: standard.2009.09.24

now it's the opposite - pseudo Islamic fundamentalism has emerged as a primary political force.

VOA: standard.2010.04.01

"And so if that was the objective,healing, and it's done the opposite.

VOA: standard.2010.08.03