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

Understanding how the brain responds will help scientists assess long-term risks and develop countermeasures. —Rachael Seidler, Space.com, 7 Mar. 2026

Hungary’s government, however, has accused Ukraine of deliberately holding up supplies of Russian crude, and has vowed to take strong countermeasures against Kyiv until oil flows resume. —Justin Spike, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2026

Following its struggles in testing and amid its parts shortage, Honda completed additional engine testing at its factory in Japan over the past week, with a view to introducing a series of countermeasures to address the vibration problem in Australia. —Luke Smith, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2026

Combating drones has focused largely on expensive countermeasures such as lasers, while base infrastructure has lagged behind. —Steven Beynon, ABC News, 4 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1923, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing countermeasure

• counter-countermeasure
• electronic countermeasure

Rhymes for countermeasure

• displeasure
• leisure
• measure
• pleasure
• treasure

Kids Definition

countermeasure

noun

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

-ˌmāzh-

: an action or device designed to counteract another