countermeasure

noun

coun·​ter·​mea·​sure ˈkau̇n-tər-ˌme-zhər 

-ˌmā-

: an action or device designed to negate or offset another

The most well-known countermeasure by a physician is a malicious-persecution suit against the lawyer who sued him and failed to prove a case.

—William J. Curran

The Germans had developed a tricky magnetic mine, but the British had developed a countermeasure for this even before the mine was used.

—Bernard Brodie and Fawn M. Brodie

especially : electronic countermeasure

Examples of countermeasure in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Both Ukraine and Russia have relied extensively on explosive drones during the war and have scrambled to come up with more countermeasures. —Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, arkansasonline.com, 1 Aug. 2024

But to hit distant targets requires precision guidance—a technology vulnerable to countermeasures. —Stephen Biddle, Foreign Affairs, 28 Aug. 2024

Then–Secretary of State Clinton was accused by her opponents of slow-walking the appropriate military countermeasures, costing lives. —Matthew Kirschenbaum, The Atlantic, 16 Aug. 2024

Instead of relying on one system to act as a blanket of protection, different countermeasures are used to intercept and neutralize different threats at different distances from the target. —David Szondy, New Atlas, 7 Aug. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1923, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing countermeasure

• counter-countermeasure
• electronic countermeasure

Kids Definition

countermeasure

noun

coun·​ter·​mea·​sure ˈkau̇nt-ər-ˌmezh-ər 

-ˌmāzh-

: an action or device designed to counteract another