countermand

verb

coun·ter·mand | \ ˈkau̇n-tər-ˌmand

, ˌkau̇n-tər-ˈmand

countermanded; countermanding; countermands

Definition of countermand

(Entry 1 of 2)

transitive verb

1 : to revoke (a command) by a contrary order

2 : to recall or order back by a superseding contrary order countermand reinforcements

countermand

noun

coun·ter·mand | \ ˈkau̇n-tər-ˌmand

Definition of countermand (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : a contrary order

2 : the revocation of an order or command

Did You Know? More Example Sentences Learn More about countermand

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Did You Know?

Verb

In the military, one's mandate is to follow the commands (and sometimes the "countermands") of the officers. Doing their bidding is not particularly commendable - it's simply mandatory. The Latin verb mandare, meaning "to entrust" or "to order," is the authority behind "countermand." It's also behind the words "mandate," "command," "demand," "commend" (which can mean "to entrust" as well as "to praise"), and "mandatory." "Countermand" came to English via Anglo French, where the prefix cuntre- ("against") was combined with the verb "mander" ("to command"). It has been a part of our language since the 1400s.

Examples of countermand in a Sentence

Verb

Orders to blow up the bridge were countermanded.

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

The announcement, made yesterday by Vice President Pence, countermands a decision by the Navy to retire the carrier early to save money. — Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "Why the Navy Won’t Retire the USS Truman Early," 1 May 2019 The power struggle turns tragic when Khrushchev countermands Beria's order to shut down the rail lines while Stalin lies in state and a flood of mourners into Moscow results in Soviet security forces slaughtering 1,500 people. — J.r. Jones, Chicago Reader, "The Death of Stalin shines a light on Lavrenti Beria, head of the Soviet Union’s dreaded secret police.," 15 Mar. 2018 That would countermand more stringent rules, imposed by the two federal agencies in charge of protecting salmon, smelt and other endangered species in the Delta, that have been in place since 2009. — Ryan Sabalow And Dale Kasler, sacbee, "The drought is over. Why are Republicans in Congress fighting for more water for farmers?," 20 July 2017 Bossert countermanded a lower level manager who tried to stop the ball tossing. — Kirk Mitchell, The Denver Post, "Racial and sexual discrimination alleged at Denver life insurance company," 23 Jan. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'countermand.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.