countercharge

C3O1U1N1T1E1R1C3H4A1R1G2E1

noun

An accusation against an opponent in an argument in response to the opponent's accusations.

OriginEnglish charge ← Middle English chargen ← Old French chargier →
Scrabble 21
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Meanings

nouncountercharge (plural countercharges)

plural countercharges

  1. An accusation against an opponent in an argument in response to the opponent's accusations.

    We’ll get to the merits of the charges and countercharges shortly, but first it’s worth considering why, beyond entertainment value, all this matters.

    2007 May 30, David Leonhardt, “Truth, Fiction and Lou Dobbs”, in New York Times
  2. An thrust or charge against an enemy in response to their previous attack.

    […] charges and countercharges, retreats and counterretreats, attackin' and fallin' back.

    2017, Jim Fergus, The Vengeance of Mothers, page 278
verbcountercharge (third-person singular simple present countercharges, present participle countercharging, simple past and past participle countercharged)

present singular third person countercharges · participle present countercharging · participle past countercharged · past countercharged

  1. governmentTo reverse the colors; to make counterchanged.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*ḱe?
  2. Proto-Indo-European*ḱóm
  3. Proto-Italic*kom
  4. Proto-Italic*kom-
  5. Proto-Italic*komteros
  6. Proto-Italic*komterād
  7. Latincontrā
  8. Old Frenchcontre-
  9. Anglo-Normancountre-
  10. Middle Englishcounter-
  11. Englishcounter-
  12. Proto-Indo-European*ḱers-
  13. Proto-Indo-European*ḱr̥sós
  14. Proto-Celtic*karros
  15. Gaulish*karros
  16. Latincarrus
  17. Latincarricō
  18. Late Latincarricāre
  19. Old Frenchchargier
  20. Middle Englishchargen
  21. Englishcharge
  22. Englishcountercharge

From counter- + charge.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Māori kōkōreke pūoho tata, whana whakairi
  • kōkōreke pūoho tataa thrust against an enemy in response to their previous action
  • whana whakairia thrust against an enemy in response to their previous action
Polish kontratak
  • kontrataka thrust against an enemy in response to their previous action
Cite this entry
APA

countercharge. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/countercharge

MLA

“countercharge.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/countercharge. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “countercharge,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/countercharge.

Source: countercharge on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.