counterprogram

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verb

To schedule (a broadcast on radio or television) to compete or contrast with a program broadcast simultaneously on another station.

“The opposing political party is deploying high profile speakers to counterprogram the convention with small rallies at nearby sites.”

OriginEnglish program ← Middle English counter- ← Anglo-Norman countre- →
Scrabble 21
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Meanings

verbcounterprogram (third-person singular simple present counterprograms, present participle counterprogramming or (rare) counterprograming, simple past and past participle counterprogrammed or (rare) counterprogramed)

present singular third person counterprograms · participle present counterprogramming · participle present rare counterprograming · participle past counterprogrammed · past counterprogrammed · participle past rare counterprogramed · past rare counterprogramed · alternative counterprogramme

  1. To schedule (a broadcast on radio or television) to compete or contrast with a program broadcast simultaneously on another station.
  2. By extension, to engage in similar competitive posturing or scheduling in any comparable situation.

    The opposing political party is deploying high profile speakers to counterprogram the convention with small rallies at nearby sites.

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. Englishprogram
  13. Englishcounterprogram

From counter- + program.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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