counterforce

C3O1U1N1T1E1R1F4O1R1C3E1

noun

A force that opposes another force.

Opposite
countervalue
OriginEnglish force ← Middle English counter- ← Anglo-Norman countre- →
RareScrabble 19
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Meanings

nouncounterforce (plural counterforces)

plural counterforces

  1. A force that opposes another force.
adjectivecounterforce (not comparable)
  1. not comparablegovernmentTargeting an opponent's military assets, such as missile silos, rather than other valuable assets such as cities and civilian populations.

    Antonyms: countervalue

Synonyms & antonyms

adjectiveTargeting an opponent's military assets, such as missile silos, rather than other valuable assets such as cities and civilian populations.

Opposite
countervalue

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. Englishforce
  13. Englishcounterforce

From counter- + force.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Finnish vastavoima
  • vastavoimaforce that opposes another force
Irish frithfhórsa
  • frithfhórsaforce that opposes another force
Swedish motvikt motkraft
  • motvikt motkraftforce that opposes another force
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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