Standard Lemma guide

contracyclical

adj · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

adj

Meaning 1

Tending to counteract the effects of the business cycle.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: economics, sciences

Examples

  • The government cut taxes during the recession as a contracyclical measure.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *ḱe? Proto-Indo-European *ḱóm Proto-Italic *kom Proto-Italic *kom- Proto-Indo-European *-teros Proto-Italic *-teros Proto-Italic *komterosder. Proto-Italic *komterād Latin contrābor. English contra- Proto-Indo-European *kwel- Proto-Indo-European *kwékwlos Ancient Greek κύκλος (kúklos) Proto-Indo-European *-kos Proto-Hellenic *-kos Ancient Greek -κός (-kós) Ancient Greek -ικός (-ikós) Ancient Greek κυκλῐκός (kuklĭkós)bor. Classical Latin cyclicuslbor. Middle French cyclique French cycliquebor. ▲ Classical Latin cyclicusbor. English cyclic English -al English cyclical English contracyclical From contra- + cyclical.

Across languages

Translations

5 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Norwegian Bokmål: motsyklisk — tending to stabilize an unbalanced economy
  • Portuguese: anticíclico — tending to stabilize an unbalanced economy
  • Portuguese: contracíclico — tending to stabilize an unbalanced economy
  • Spanish: anticíclico — tending to stabilize an unbalanced economy
  • Spanish: contracíclico — tending to stabilize an unbalanced economy