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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CMU ARPABET:K AW2 N T ER0 R EH0 V AH0 L UW1 SH AH0 N
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
A revolution aiming to reverse the political or social changes instigated by a previous revolution.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Examples
The military leaders behind the original coup were executed in the aftermath of the counterrevolution.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
in Tycoon, to undo a revolution, setting the card hierarchy back to normal.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Topics: card-games, games
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: revolution
3
noun
Meaning 3
a revolution whose aim is to reverse the changes introduced by a previous revolution
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: revolution
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- English revolution English counterrevolution From counter- + revolution.
Across languages
Translations
34 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Armenian:
հակահեղափոխություն
(hakaheġapʻoxutʻyun)
— revolution to reverse effects of previous revolution
Basque:
kontrairaultza
— revolution to reverse effects of previous revolution
Belarusian:
контррэвалю́цыя
(kontrrevaljúcyja)
— revolution to reverse effects of previous revolution
Bulgarian:
контрареволю́ция
(kontrarevoljúcija)
— revolution to reverse effects of previous revolution
Carpathian Rusyn:
контрареволу́ція
(kontrarevolúcija)
— revolution to reverse effects of previous revolution
Catalan:
contrarevolució
— revolution to reverse effects of previous revolution
Chinese Mandarin:
反革命
(fǎngémìng)
— revolution to reverse effects of previous revolution
Czech:
kontrarevoluce
— revolution to reverse effects of previous revolution
Dutch:
contrarevolutie
— revolution to reverse effects of previous revolution
Esperanto:
kontraŭrevolucio
— revolution to reverse effects of previous revolution
Finnish:
vastavallankumous
— revolution to reverse effects of previous revolution
French:
contre-révolution
— revolution to reverse effects of previous revolution
German:
Gegenrevolution
— revolution to reverse effects of previous revolution
German:
Konterrevolution
— revolution to reverse effects of previous revolution
Greek:
αντεπανάσταση
(antepanástasi)
— revolution to reverse effects of previous revolution
Hungarian:
ellenforradalom
— revolution to reverse effects of previous revolution
Indonesian:
kontra revolusi
— revolution to reverse effects of previous revolution
Irish:
frithréabhlóid
— revolution to reverse effects of previous revolution
Italian:
controrivolta
— revolution to reverse effects of previous revolution
Japanese:
反革命
(hankakumei)
— revolution to reverse effects of previous revolution
Kazakh:
контрреволюция
(kontrrevolüsiä)
— revolution to reverse effects of previous revolution
Kazakh:
контртөңкеріс
(kontrtöñkerıs)
— revolution to reverse effects of previous revolution
Kazakh:
қарсы төңкеріс
(qarsy töñkerıs)
— revolution to reverse effects of previous revolution
Korean:
반혁명
(banhyeongmyeong)
— revolution to reverse effects of previous revolution
Polish:
kontrrewolucja
— revolution to reverse effects of previous revolution
Portuguese:
contrarrevolução
— revolution to reverse effects of previous revolution
Romanian:
contrarevoluție
— revolution to reverse effects of previous revolution
Romanian:
contrarevoluțiune
— revolution to reverse effects of previous revolution
Russian:
контрреволю́ция
(kontrrevoljúcija)
— revolution to reverse effects of previous revolution
Spanish:
contrarrevolución
— revolution to reverse effects of previous revolution
Swedish:
kontrarevolution
— revolution to reverse effects of previous revolution
Swedish:
motrevolution
— revolution to reverse effects of previous revolution
Ukrainian:
контрреволю́ція
(kontrrevoljúcija)
— revolution to reverse effects of previous revolution
Vietnamese:
phản cách mạng
— revolution to reverse effects of previous revolution
