Standard Lemma guide

counterrevolutionary

adj · noun · 6 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

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: K AW2 N T ER0 R EH0 V AH0 L UW1 SH AH0 N EH2 R IY0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

In opposition to a revolution.

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

Marked by opposition or antipathy to a current or earlier revolution.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable

Topics: history, human-sciences, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

A person who opposes a revolution and attempts to reverse the changes made by it.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

adjective

Meaning 4

marked by opposition or antipathy to revolution

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • ostracized for his counterrevolutionary tendencies

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: revolutionary

5

adjective

Meaning 5

relating to or being a counterrevolution

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

a revolutionary whose aim is to reverse the changes introduced by an earlier revolution

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: counterrevolutionist, counter-revolutionist

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: revolutionist, revolutionary, subversive, subverter

History

Etymology

From counter- + revolutionary. Originally applied to thinkers who opposed themselves to the 1789 French Revolution.

Across languages

Translations

42 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Armenian: հակահեղափոխական (hakaheġapʻoxakan) — in opposition to a revolution
  • Azerbaijani: əks-inqilabi — in opposition to a revolution
  • Catalan: contrarevolucionari — in opposition to a revolution
  • Chinese Mandarin: 反革命 (fǎngémìng) — in opposition to a revolution
  • Finnish: vastavallankumouksellinen — in opposition to a revolution
  • French: contre-révolutionnaire — in opposition to a revolution
  • German: konterrevolutionär — in opposition to a revolution
  • Greek: αντεπαναστατικός (antepanastatikós) — in opposition to a revolution
  • Japanese: 反革命の (hankakumei no) — in opposition to a revolution
  • Kazakh: контрреволюциялық (kontrrevolüsiälyq) — in opposition to a revolution
  • Korean: 반혁명의 (banhyeongmyeong'ui) — in opposition to a revolution
  • Polish: kontrrewolucyjny — in opposition to a revolution
  • Russian: контрреволюцио́нный (kontrrevoljuciónnyj) — in opposition to a revolution
  • Spanish: antirrevolucionario — in opposition to a revolution
  • Spanish: contrarrevolucionario — in opposition to a revolution
  • Swedish: kontrarevolutionär — in opposition to a revolution
  • Armenian: հակահեղափոխական (hakaheġapʻoxakan) — person who opposes a revolution
  • Azerbaijani: əks-inqilabçı — person who opposes a revolution
  • Belarusian: контррэвалюцыяне́р (kontrrevaljucyjanjér) — person who opposes a revolution
  • Belarusian: контррэвалюцыяне́рка (kontrrevaljucyjanjérka) — person who opposes a revolution
  • Catalan: contrarevolucionari — person who opposes a revolution
  • Chinese Mandarin: 反革命 (fǎngémìng) — person who opposes a revolution
  • Chinese Mandarin: 反革命分子 (fǎngémìng fènzi) — person who opposes a revolution
  • Czech: kontrarevolucionář — person who opposes a revolution
  • Finnish: vastavallankumouksellinen — person who opposes a revolution
  • French: contre-révolutionnaire — person who opposes a revolution
  • Georgian: კონტრრევოლუციონერი (ḳonṭrrevolucioneri) — person who opposes a revolution
  • German: Konterrevolutionär — person who opposes a revolution
  • German: Konterrevolutionärin — person who opposes a revolution
  • Greek: αντεπαναστάτης (antepanastátis) — person who opposes a revolution
  • Greek: αντεπαναστάτρια (antepanastátria) — person who opposes a revolution
  • Kazakh: контрреволюционер (kontrrevolüsioner) — person who opposes a revolution
  • Kazakh: контрреволюцияшыл (kontrrevolüsiäşyl) — person who opposes a revolution
  • Polish: kontrrewolucjonista — person who opposes a revolution
  • Polish: kontrrewolucjonistka — person who opposes a revolution
  • Russian: контрреволюционе́р (kontrrevoljucionér) — person who opposes a revolution
  • Russian: контрреволюционе́рка (kontrrevoljucionérka) — person who opposes a revolution
  • Russian: ко́нтра (kóntra) — person who opposes a revolution
  • Spanish: contrarevolucionario — person who opposes a revolution
  • Swedish: kontrarevolutionär — person who opposes a revolution
  • Ukrainian: контрреволюціоне́р (kontrrevoljucionér) — person who opposes a revolution
  • Ukrainian: контрреволюціоне́рка (kontrrevoljucionérka) — person who opposes a revolution