On the contrary / By contrast / in contrast / On the other hand
Different meaningsOn the contrary contradicts a preceding statement. By contrast and in contrast compare different cases. On the other hand introduces another side or consideration.
On the contrary
Use when
You reject or contradict the preceding statement and assert the reverse.
Example
“The change did not reduce the workload. On the contrary, it created additional manual checks.”
By contrast / in contrast
Use when
You compare materially different people, things, results or situations.
Example
“Agency A reduced processing time. By contrast, Agency B's processing time increased.”
On the other hand
Use when
You introduce another consideration, advantage, disadvantage or side of an issue; both statements may be true.
Example
“Automation reduces repetitive work. On the other hand, it requires stronger exception handling.”
Quick check
on the contrary used merely to compare two agencies, by contrast used to deny the preceding statement, on the other hand without another side or trade-off
Usage note