countermovement
noun
coun·ter·move·ment
ˈkau̇n-tər-ˌmüv-mənt 
variants
or counter-movement
plural countermovements or counter-movements
1
: a movement in an opposite direction
She observed that whenever the body abruptly moves one way, there is a fallout of countermovements and readjustments …—
Paul Trachtman
Paul TrachtmanSuburban stress has not produced any large-scale countermovement back to the cities or out to the countryside, however.—William Schneider
William Schneider2
: an organized movement that arises in opposition to something
Opponents labeled the whole program socialistic, and, in the 1960s, a strong countermovement developed …—The Bangor Daily News
The Bangor Daily NewsExamples of countermovement in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
And, as these advocates began to rack up successes, measured in new state laws and changes in public opinion, a countermovement took shape.
—Margaret Talbot, New Yorker, 14 Apr. 2025
To steady the user's hand, the exoskeleton detects the rhythmic movements caused by the tremor and uses its actuators to produce precise countermovements, pushing on the arm with vibration-like motions that cancel out the shaking.
—IEEE Spectrum, 29 June 2016
And, Zuboff warns, surveillance capitalism has thus far escaped the sort of countermovement described by Polanyi.
—Paul Starr, Foreign Affairs, 10 Oct. 2019
Checking this priesthood’s power will require a new countermovement—one that restrains surveillance capitalism in the name of personal freedom and democracy.
—Paul Starr, Foreign Affairs, 10 Oct. 2019
Although the mainstream perfume business has long run on seduction, celebrity and the idea that a person must have a signature scent, a burgeoning countermovement, driven by independent artisans, is questioning the idea that a perfume’s central function is to delight the noses of others.
—Cassidy George, New York Times, 9 Apr. 2024
In 2024, countermovements to take racist and classist history seriously will continue to run up against strong undercurrents of political scapegoating and zero-sum thinking throughout both countries, increasing the severity and reach of weathering.
—Arline Geronimus, WIRED, 19 Jan. 2024
Donna Whitmore, a lifelong Hayward resident, is part of a countermovement that says the story of Russell City has been wrongly co-opted by local politicians, national media and reparations advocates to serve as an example of unjust government actions against African Americans.
—Lindsey Davis, NBC News, 19 June 2023
Meanwhile, a countermovement in support of law enforcement has begun to clash with the protests, sometimes leading to violence.
—Michael Lee, Washington Examiner, 13 Sep. 2020
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Margaret Talbot, New Yorker, 14 Apr. 2025
To steady the user's hand, the exoskeleton detects the rhythmic movements caused by the tremor and uses its actuators to produce precise countermovements, pushing on the arm with vibration-like motions that cancel out the shaking.
—IEEE Spectrum, 29 June 2016
And, Zuboff warns, surveillance capitalism has thus far escaped the sort of countermovement described by Polanyi.
—Paul Starr, Foreign Affairs, 10 Oct. 2019
Checking this priesthood’s power will require a new countermovement—one that restrains surveillance capitalism in the name of personal freedom and democracy.
—Paul Starr, Foreign Affairs, 10 Oct. 2019
Although the mainstream perfume business has long run on seduction, celebrity and the idea that a person must have a signature scent, a burgeoning countermovement, driven by independent artisans, is questioning the idea that a perfume’s central function is to delight the noses of others.
—Cassidy George, New York Times, 9 Apr. 2024
In 2024, countermovements to take racist and classist history seriously will continue to run up against strong undercurrents of political scapegoating and zero-sum thinking throughout both countries, increasing the severity and reach of weathering.
—Arline Geronimus, WIRED, 19 Jan. 2024
Donna Whitmore, a lifelong Hayward resident, is part of a countermovement that says the story of Russell City has been wrongly co-opted by local politicians, national media and reparations advocates to serve as an example of unjust government actions against African Americans.
—Lindsey Davis, NBC News, 19 June 2023
Meanwhile, a countermovement in support of law enforcement has begun to clash with the protests, sometimes leading to violence.
—Michael Lee, Washington Examiner, 13 Sep. 2020
Cite this Entry
“Countermovement.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/countermovement. Accessed 21 Apr. 2025.
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