counterargument

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

variants: or counter-argument

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

Defense attorneys sometimes use unfairness as a counterargument, but Trump's tweeting isn't going to change what takes place in the courtroom.

— ryan teague beckwith, Time, "President Trump's Go-To Moves When Facing Trouble Won't Help With the Manafort Indictment," 30 Oct. 2017
On almost every page, Dr. Frances levels wildly one-sided charges without exhibiting the slightest awareness that there may be counterarguments or that his claims require citation or some form of corroboration.

— barton swaim, WSJ, "Review: ‘The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump’ Caters to a Country on the Verge of a Crackup," 13 Oct. 2017
Mounting a counterargument would be nearly impossible.

— ben golliver, SI.com, "For DeMarcus Cousins, Misplaced Loyalty Isn't a Mistake He'll Make Twice," 27 Oct. 2017
The conversations were polite, and Dr. Beck listened to counterarguments that Ms. Hamnett and her team made, Ms. Hamnett said.

— eric lipton, New York Times, "Why Has the E.P.A. Shifted on Toxic Chemicals? An Industry Insider Helps Call the Shots," 21 Oct. 2017
This is not a rebuttal or counterargument to any of that.

— michael harriot, The Root, "Patriotism Is for Black People," 27 Sep. 2017
But the counterargument for hiring a retread that has already cut his teeth elsewhere, even unsuccessfully, is obvious too: In 1991, a 39-year-old began a five-year stint as coach for the Browns.

— andrew beaton, WSJ, "Why the NFL Is Gambling on Baby-Faced Coaches," 12 Sep. 2017
One counterargument to the overkill hypothesis is that ancient climate change killed off all those huge beasts.

— lorraine boissoneault, Smithsonian, "Are Humans to Blame for the Disappearance of Earth’s Fantastic Beasts?," 31 July 2017

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.