countermovement
noun
coun·ter·move·ment
ˈkau̇n-tər-ˌmüv-mənt 
variants
or counter-movement
plural countermovements or counter-movements
1
: a movement in an opposite direction
She observed that whenever the body abruptly moves one way, there is a fallout of countermovements and readjustments …—
Paul Trachtman
Paul TrachtmanSuburban stress has not produced any large-scale countermovement back to the cities or out to the countryside, however.—William Schneider
William Schneider2
: an organized movement that arises in opposition to something
Opponents labeled the whole program socialistic, and, in the 1960s, a strong countermovement developed …—The Bangor (Maine) Daily News
The Bangor (Maine) Daily NewsExamples of countermovement in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Trump’s intertwining of climate policy and authoritarianism may beget its own countermovement: climate democracy.
—Vann R. Newkirk Ii, The Atlantic, 10 Nov. 2025
In response to this ambition, a countermovement has arisen, a prickly resistance to the idea of removing creativity from human hands.
—Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 16 July 2025
To test explosive power, the researchers used a countermovement jump (CMJ), which simply involves squatting down then leaping as high as possible in a single motion.
—Alex Hutchinson, Outside Online, 19 May 2025
So far, the only real hint of something larger — a mass countermovement — has been the rallies led by Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
—David Brooks, Mercury News, 23 Apr. 2025
And, as these advocates began to rack up successes, measured in new state laws and changes in public opinion, a countermovement took shape.
—Margaret Talbot, New Yorker, 14 Apr. 2025
Checking this priesthood’s power will require a new countermovement—one that restrains surveillance capitalism in the name of personal freedom and democracy.
—Paul Starr, Foreign Affairs, 10 Oct. 2019
To steady the user's hand, the exoskeleton detects the rhythmic movements caused by the tremor and uses its actuators to produce precise countermovements, pushing on the arm with vibration-like motions that cancel out the shaking.
—IEEE Spectrum, 29 June 2016
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Vann R. Newkirk Ii, The Atlantic, 10 Nov. 2025
In response to this ambition, a countermovement has arisen, a prickly resistance to the idea of removing creativity from human hands.
—Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 16 July 2025
To test explosive power, the researchers used a countermovement jump (CMJ), which simply involves squatting down then leaping as high as possible in a single motion.
—Alex Hutchinson, Outside Online, 19 May 2025
So far, the only real hint of something larger — a mass countermovement — has been the rallies led by Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
—David Brooks, Mercury News, 23 Apr. 2025
And, as these advocates began to rack up successes, measured in new state laws and changes in public opinion, a countermovement took shape.
—Margaret Talbot, New Yorker, 14 Apr. 2025
Checking this priesthood’s power will require a new countermovement—one that restrains surveillance capitalism in the name of personal freedom and democracy.
—Paul Starr, Foreign Affairs, 10 Oct. 2019
To steady the user's hand, the exoskeleton detects the rhythmic movements caused by the tremor and uses its actuators to produce precise countermovements, pushing on the arm with vibration-like motions that cancel out the shaking.
—IEEE Spectrum, 29 June 2016
Cite this Entry
“Countermovement.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/countermovement. Accessed 29 Nov. 2025.
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