counterinsurgency

noun

coun·​ter·​in·​sur·​gen·​cy ˌkau̇n-tər-in-ˈsər-jən(t)-sē How to pronounce counterinsurgency (audio)
Synonyms of counterinsurgencynext
: organized military activity designed to combat insurgency
counterinsurgent noun

Examples of counterinsurgency in a Sentence

The military has launched a counterinsurgency.
Recent Examples on the Web
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The 1991 Gulf War was a stunning victory for the United States military, which has colored its assumptions about what conventional war—as opposed to counterinsurgency, a mission unwanted and disliked—should look like. Eliot A. Cohen, The Atlantic, 25 Mar. 2026 Ambriz has built a small army of foreign mercenaries, mostly former soldiers from Colombia who have experience in bomb-making and counterinsurgency tactics. Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times, 27 Feb. 2026 Through his writings about the French colonial war in Algeria, their man on the spot Roger Trinquier shaped US counterinsurgency strategy in the Vietnam War, particularly for the CIA. Alfred McCoy, Literary Hub, 26 Feb. 2026 Airpower became a supporting arm for counterinsurgency operations rather than a primary instrument for achieving strategic and operational level effects. David A. Deptula, Forbes.com, 16 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for counterinsurgency

Word History

First Known Use

1962, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of counterinsurgency was in 1962

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Cite this Entry

“Counterinsurgency.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/counterinsurgency. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.

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