counterintelligence

noun

counterespionage

OriginEnglish intelligence ← Middle English counter- ← Anglo-Norman countre- →
UncommonScrabble 24
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Meanings

nouncounterintelligence (usually uncountable, plural counterintelligences)

plural counterintelligences · alternative counter-intelligence

  1. uncountableusuallycounterespionage

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
counterespionage

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. Englishintelligence
  13. Englishcounterintelligence

From counter- + intelligence.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

counterintelligence. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/counterintelligence

MLA

“counterintelligence.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/counterintelligence. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “counterintelligence,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/counterintelligence.

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