counteroffer

noun

coun·​ter·​of·​fer ˈkau̇n-tər-ˌȯ-fər 

-ˌä-fər

: a return offer made by one who has rejected an offer

Examples of counteroffer in a Sentence

He turned down the deal and came back with a counteroffer asking for more money.

Recent Examples on the Web

Those concessions were not enough for Democrats, who sent a counteroffer late Monday to expand the ethics provision but were not able to strike a final deal. — Arkansas Online, 16 Sep. 2026

Adidas presented a compelling counteroffer, but did not fully match the terms. — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 16 Sep. 2026

The Sabres and Jets had very serious talks, culminating in offers and counteroffers on the Friday of the first round of the draft in late June, but nothing materialized. — Pierre Lebrun, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026

The Senate Judiciary antitrust subcommittee held a hearing in February on Netflix’s plans to merge with WBD, with co-CEO Ted Sarandos appearing before lawmakers, weeks before the streamer dropped its bid amid Paramount’s counteroffer. — Ted Johnson, Deadline, 12 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1788, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for counteroffer

• spermatophore
• coffer
• offer
• proffer
• scoffer

Legal Definition

counteroffer

noun

coun·​ter·​of·​fer ˈkau̇n-tər-ˌȯ-fər 

: an offer that is made in response to another and that has additional or differing terms

Note: Under common law, a counteroffer does not constitute an acceptance of an offer and is often considered a rejection of the offer.

counteroffer intransitive verb