Archaic form meaning 'against' or 'in opposition to,' used in early English texts.
Middle English contraction or variant of 'for' + 'against,' with 'for' possibly intensifying or the whole forming a fossilized preposition from earlier English.
You'll see 'forgainst' in Shakespeare and King James Bible texts—it's a reminder that prepositions were more flexible in early modern English before standardization!
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