Standard Lemma guide

counteraction

noun · 3 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

noun

Meaning 1

An act of retaliation; a counterattack.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

Any action in opposition to a previous action.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

action intended to nullify the effects of some previous action

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: neutralization, neutralisation

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: nullification, override

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 contrāder. Old French contre- Anglo-Norman countre-bor. Middle English counter- English counter- Old French aucionbor. Middle English accioun English action English counteraction From counter- + action.

Across languages

Translations

22 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Azerbaijani: əks-hərəkət — counterattack
  • Azerbaijani: əks-hücum — counterattack
  • Bulgarian: контраатака (kontraataka) — counterattack
  • Finnish: vastaisku — counterattack
  • Finnish: vastahyökkäys — counterattack
  • Georgian: კონტრშეტევა (ḳonṭršeṭeva) — counterattack
  • Georgian: კონტრიერიში (ḳonṭrieriši) — counterattack
  • Italian: contrattacco — counterattack
  • Japanese: 反撃 (hangeki) — counterattack
  • Azerbaijani: əks-hərəkət — opposing action
  • Bulgarian: противодействие (protivodejstvie) — opposing action
  • Chinese: 抵消 (dǐxiāo) — opposing action
  • Finnish: vastatoimi — opposing action
  • Georgian: უკუქმედება (uḳukmedeba) — opposing action
  • Georgian: საპირისპირო ქმედება (saṗirisṗiro kmedeba) — opposing action
  • Georgian: საწინააღმდეგო ქმედება (sac̣inaaɣmdego kmedeba) — opposing action
  • Greek: αντενέργεια (antenérgeia) — opposing action
  • Irish: frithbheart — opposing action
  • Irish: frithghníomh — opposing action
  • Japanese: 反作用 (hansayō) — opposing action
  • Japanese: 中和 (chūwa) — opposing action
  • Japanese: 相殺 (sōsai) — opposing action