countervail

verb coun·ter·vail \ ˌkau̇n-tər-ˈvāl \

|Updated on: 7 Aug 2018

Definition of countervail

countervailed; countervailing; countervails

transitive verb

1 : to compensate for

2 archaic : equal, match

3 : to exert force against : counteract

intransitive verb

: to exert force against an opposing and often bad or harmful force or influence

Recent Examples of countervail from the Web

China will impose countervailing tariffs the same day, less than a week after Canada does the same in reaction to U.S. restrictions on steel and aluminum.

— matthew campbell, chicagotribune.com, "In waging trade war, Trump must figure out who the enemy even is," 2 July 2018
China will impose countervailing tariffs the same day, less than a week after Canada does the same in reaction to U.S. restrictions on steel and aluminum.

— matthew campbell, chicagotribune.com, "In waging trade war, Trump must figure out who the enemy even is," 2 July 2018
China will impose countervailing tariffs the same day, less than a week after Canada does the same in reaction to U.S. restrictions on steel and aluminum.

— matthew campbell, latimes.com, "In Trump's trade war, companies like GM wind up on both sides," 29 June 2018
Faith is always an irrational passion: an act of trust that runs in the face of countervailing evidence.

— john kaag, WSJ, "‘The Existentialist’s Survival Guide’ Review: Choose Your Own Adventure," 10 May 2018
Covering a Congress just starting its descent into partisan gridlock, Mr Komarow’s countervailing courtesy led the press corps to choose him as their negotiator over access.

— The Economist, "Steve Komarow, editor of CQ RollCall, died on April 29th," 3 May 2018
The Spanish flu, meanwhile, is ravaging the city, countervailing the vibrant, creative forces of music and public works, the striving, the dreams of longevity.

— New York Times, "A Novel of 1918 New Orleans, With Murder and All That Jazz," 17 Jan. 2018
Yet Karplus includes a tree in the foreground as a countervailing vertical.

— mark feeney, BostonGlobe.com, "At Cambridge Public Library, photos in color, in the stacks, in Cambridge," 8 May 2018
Competitors, such as Lyft, at least acknowledged the countervailing interests, but Uber relentlessly pushes forward, painting cities as greedy protectors of incumbent firms and regulators as clueless impediments to progress.

— kevin werbach, Philly.com, "When crises come, ethically challenged firms such as Uber are most vulnerable, Wharton prof says," 16 Apr. 2018

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

Origin and Etymology of countervail

Middle English countrevailen, from Anglo-French cuntrevaloir, from cuntre- counter- + valoir to be worth, from Latin valēre — more at wield

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

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