counterargument

noun coun·ter·ar·gu·ment \ ˌkau̇n-tər-ˈär-gyə-mənt \

variants: or counter-argument

|Updated on: 12 Aug 2018

Definition of counterargument

plural counterarguments or counter-arguments

: an opposing argument

Joseph Stiglitz's new book, "The Price of Inequality," is the single most comprehensive counterargument to both Democratic neoliberalism and Republican laissez-faire theories.
—Thomas B. Edsall

… careful consideration of each of the arguments made by the appellant, and of the counter-arguments advanced by the appellees …
—Jonathan M. Landers et al.

Recent Examples of counterargument from the Web

Exotic dancers have said the public has misunderstood their profession as desperately lurid, in contrast with a feminist counterargument that dancing can be an empowering way to earn money.

— alex horton, Washington Post, "Exotic dancers march on the streets to protest crackdown on New Orleans strip clubs," 3 Feb. 2018
Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination turns the counterargument into the central argument and redefines the mission of the Court.

— matthew yglesias, Vox, "Brett Kavanaugh and the new judicial activism," 12 July 2018
And there are equally strong counterarguments about the corruption Roe and Casey continue to inflict on the body politic.

— william mcgurn, WSJ, "Abortion, Roe—and Trump," 2 July 2018
There’s a counterargument that says, actually, the DOJ has career staff who’s very interested in this and making Delrahim, the antitrust guy who bought it, is actually a serious person, not like some of the other Trump appointees.

— recode staff, Recode, "Full transcript: Recode’s Peter Kafka on Too Embarrassed to Ask," 28 June 2018
On the other hand, came the counterargument, adding Machado might push the Dodgers over the luxury-tax threshold, which could hinder their ability to chase other big-money stars this offseason.

— alex putterman, The Atlantic, "The Long Shadow of MLB's Next Free-Agent Class," 20 May 2018
Yet Trump’s own success in winning the presidency serves as an effective counterargument that in today’s political climate, practically no one is unelectable.

— jeet heer, The New Republic, "How the Republican Party Eats Itself, But Stays Alive," 8 May 2018
Arias will then be allowed to reply to the state's counterargument before the case goes before a three-judge panel for oral argument.

— michael kiefer, azcentral, "First look: Jodi Arias' defense attorneys file 342-page brief in conviction appeal," 6 July 2018
The counterargument is that, despite the central bank’s protests, the timing and manner of these cuts matter.

— The Economist, "China starts easing monetary policy. Or does it?," 30 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'counterargument.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.