counterinsurgency

noun

coun·​ter·​in·​sur·​gen·​cy ˌkau̇n-tər-in-ˈsər-jən(t)-sē 

: organized military activity designed to combat insurgency

counterinsurgent

ˌkau̇n-tər-in-ˈsər-jənt 

noun

Examples of counterinsurgency in a Sentence

The military has launched a counterinsurgency.

Recent Examples on the Web

Its post-9/11 wars in Iraq and Afghanistan involved brief invasions followed by years of relatively low-intensity counterinsurgency warfare that, whatever its difficulties, did not require mass stockpiles of munitions. — Phillips Payson O’Brien, The Atlantic, 3 Aug. 2026

The Peruvian counterinsurgency succeeded due to a strategy that deliberately cut ties between the guerrillas and the drug traffickers. — Michelle D. Paranzino, The Conversation, 11 June 2026

Though produced in smaller numbers than the Apache or Hind, the Tiger demonstrated its value in counterinsurgency and expeditionary operations. — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 8 June 2026

Russia’s counterinsurgency tactics, effective when used with the backing of the full Russian military, also haven’t meshed well with the central Sahel states. — Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 10 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1962, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for counterinsurgency

• emergency
• insurgency
• nonemergency
• urgency