counterinsurgency

noun

coun·​ter·​in·​sur·​gen·​cy ˌkau̇n-tər-in-ˈsər-jən(t)-sē How to pronounce counterinsurgency (audio)
: 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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Over the past few decades, a counterinsurgency has taken root in America, pushing back against factory farms and overprocessed food: a recognition that the journey from farm to table is usually industrialized and impersonal. Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 28 June 2025 With Iranian and Russian counterinsurgency efforts thrown into disarray by the change of power in Damascus, the U.S. has stepped up strikes against ISIS and Al-Qaeda in Syria over the past three months. Mark Davis, Newsweek, 14 Mar. 2025 Military personnel and analysts say countries like the U.K. have been focused on fighting counterinsurgency wars, particularly post-9/11, rather than what a conflict with Russia would look like. Ellie Cook, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 May 2025 In Maryland and Washington, D.C., the ongoing liberalization of sports-betting law is confronting a counterinsurgency. David B. McGarry, Baltimore Sun, 21 Apr. 2025 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 8 Jul. 2025.

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