counterargument

noun

coun·​ter·​ar·​gu·​ment ˌkau̇n-tər-ˈär-gyə-mənt How to pronounce counterargument (audio)
variants or counter-argument
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.

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web This posture of playing it politically safe to protect their own fiefdoms without offering a counterargument had grown stale. Tom Garrubba, Forbes, 1 Sep. 2021 The typical counterargument, both in politics and pop culture, has been that immigrants pursuing their ambitions help to strengthen all of America. James Poniewozik, New York Times, 26 Dec. 2022 Susanne Baremore, 53, of Redding, made a counterargument. Los Angeles Times, 9 Nov. 2022 There’s a counterargument, of course: Won’t non-work time just be eaten up by unpaid labor, like care work? Quartz Staff, Quartz, 22 Sep. 2022 The counterargument will be that art is art, generally suggesting that any semblance of a soul is in the eye of the beholder and not how the art was generated or produced. Lance Eliot, Forbes, 29 Dec. 2022 Andonovski’s counterargument, though, would be no less compelling. Rory Smith, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2022 Some back and forth between Grassroots and NPD followed, but Grassroots wasn’t satisfied with NPD’s counterargument. Eric Smith, Outside Online, 21 Oct. 2021 Of course, the counterargument is that any autonomous system that has been weaponized would seem to have the potential for sliding into the lethality realm, even if supposedly only envisioned for use on a non-lethal basis. Lance Eliot, Forbes, 25 July 2022 See More

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.

Word History

First Known Use

1812, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of counterargument was in 1812

Dictionary Entries Near counterargument

Cite this Entry

“Counterargument.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/counterargument. Accessed 22 Mar. 2023.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!


Which Came First?

  • baby chick with a brown egg
  • hot take or cold shoulder?
How Strong Is Your Vocabulary?

Test your vocabulary with our 10-question quiz!

TAKE THE QUIZ
Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can with using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.

Can you make 12 words with 7 letters?

PLAY