counterforce

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noun

coun·​ter·​force ˈkau̇n-tər-ˌfȯrs 

variants or counter-force

plural counterforces or counter-forces

: a force that opposes another force

The hands grip a series of holds or shuffle along an edge, while the feet provide a counterforce by pushing against the rock …

—Don Graydon

Everywhere, we are witnessing an almost mad race between resurgent nationalism, ethnic hatreds and the counter-force of potential prosperity and free exchange.

—George Steiner

Hideki Yukawa's theory suggested that by exchanging a particle with a particular mass, one could create a strong attractive counterforce that would bind protons to protons, protons to neutrons, and neutrons to neutrons.

—Leon Lederman et al.

counterforce

2 of 2

adjective

variants or counter-force

: being or relating to military activity that is focused on reducing the fighting capability of the opponent's forces (as by destroying military bases or weapons) while attempting to minimize civilian casualties

Targeting military facilities … is a counterforce strategy, aimed at destruction of an opponent's armed forces.

—Richard Wolfson

compare countervalue

Synonyms

Noun

• balance
• canceler
• canceller
• corrective
• counter
• counteraction
• counterbalance
• counterpoise
• counterweight
• equipoise
• neutralizer
• offset

Examples of counterforce in a Sentence

Noun

the belief that higher interest rates are an effective counterforce to inflationary pressures

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Achieving peace in Gaza will therefore require a counterforce to Israel’s domestic political pressures. —Eric Levitz, Vox, 3 June 2024

The idea is for two pylons to be attached to a special structure on the tower with cables that are expected to exert a counterforce should the tower start tipping more dangerously. —Elisabetta Povoledo, New York Times, 4 Apr. 2024

Lynch’s portrayal of Rita — a fiercely independent woman with a strong sense of her beliefs — is inspired, a quiet, grounding counterforce to Ben-Adir’s moodier depiction. —Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Feb. 2024

First was the possibility that the United States was building new conventional weapons that could be used to attack China’s nuclear forces, a strategy known as conventional counterforce. —M. Taylor Fravel, Foreign Affairs, 10 Nov. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1609, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1955, in the meaning defined above