Etymology

countermand

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Today it means: To revoke (a former command); to cancel or rescind by giving an order contrary to one previously given. Full definition →

Old French contremander ← Medieval Latin contramandō
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The story

  1. Medieval Latin · derived fromcontramandō
  2. Old French · derived fromcontremander
  3. English todaycountermand

From Old French contremander, from Medieval Latin contramandō, from contra + mandō (“to order; to command”).

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.