counter

1 of 7

noun (1)

count·​er ˈkau̇n-tər How to pronounce counter (audio)
1
: a piece (as of metal or plastic) used in reckoning or in games
2
: something of value in bargaining : asset
3
: a level surface (such as a table, shelf or display case) over which transactions are conducted or food is served or on which goods are displayed or work is conducted
jewelry counter
a lunch counter

counter

2 of 7

noun (2)

count·​er ˈkau̇n-tər How to pronounce counter (audio)
plural counters
: a person or thing that counts something
… I would just tell them I am a very fast counter.Judy Blume
especially : a device or process for indicating a number or amount
a counter that records how many times a website is visited
As they entered the main door on Fifth Avenue, the guard clicked off two numbers on his people counter. E. L. Konigsburg

counter

3 of 7

verb

coun·​ter ˈkau̇n-tər How to pronounce counter (audio)
countered; countering ˈkau̇n-t(ə-)riŋ How to pronounce counter (audio)

transitive verb

1
a
: to act in opposition to : oppose
b
: offset, nullify
tried to counter the trend toward depersonalization
2
: to assert in answer
We countered that our warnings had been ignored.

intransitive verb

: to meet attacks or arguments with defensive or retaliatory steps

counter

4 of 7

adverb

coun·​ter ˈkau̇n-tər How to pronounce counter (audio)
1
: in an opposite or wrong direction
2
: to or toward a different or opposite direction, result, or effect
values that run counter to those of society

counter

5 of 7

noun (3)

coun·​ter ˈkau̇n-tər How to pronounce counter (audio)
1
2
: the after portion of a boat from the waterline to the extreme outward swell or stern overhang
3
a
: the act of making an attack while parrying one (as in boxing)
also : a blow thus given in boxing
b
: an agency or force that offsets : check
4
: a stiffener to give permanent form to a boot or shoe upper around the heel
5
: an area within the face of a letter wholly or partly enclosed by strokes
6
: a football play in which the ballcarrier goes in a direction opposite to the movement of the play

counter

6 of 7

adjective

coun·​ter ˈkau̇n-tər How to pronounce counter (audio)
1
: marked by or tending toward or in an opposite direction or effect
2
: given to or marked by opposition, hostility, or antipathy
3
: situated or lying opposite
the counter side
4
: recalling or ordering back by a superseding contrary order : countermanding
counter orders from the colonel

counter-

7 of 7

prefix

1
a
: contrary : opposite
counterclockwise
countermarch
b
: opposing : retaliatory
counterforce
counteroffensive
2
: complementary : corresponding
counterweight
counterpart
3
: duplicate : substitute
counterfoil
Phrases
over the counter
1
: in or through a broker's office rather than through a stock exchange
stock bought over the counter
2
: without a prescription
drugs available over the counter
under the counter
: by surreptitious means : in an illicit and private manner
workers being paid under the counter

Examples of counter in a Sentence

Verb When they blamed him for the collapse of the bridge, he countered that his warnings about the bridge had been ignored. “I could say the same thing about you,” she countered. After she made her point, he could not counter with anything. Adjective was unprepared for such a strong counter campaign by opponents of the legislative bill
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Some online tutorials recommend soaking the pineapple top in water for rooting, but Sparks instead lets the top sit on his counter for about a day before placing it directly in a soil medium and watering every two to three days. Alex Groves, Los Angeles Times, 14 Mar. 2024 Perhaps that joy stems from the way a colorful tin of olive oil brightens up your kitchen counter. Hannah Dylan Pasternak, SELF, 13 Mar. 2024 Best Kitchen Cleaners These mighty kitchen cleaners are reporting for duty to take on all your tough messes, from counters to dishes. Ella Field, Better Homes & Gardens, 13 Mar. 2024 Its availability over the counter allows people to bypass some of the financial hurdles associated with insurance providers. John Loeppky, Verywell Health, 11 Mar. 2024 Ordinarily, Olson would have faced a strong counter. Gregory Makoff, Fortune, 9 Mar. 2024 What, nobody saw the dead roach next to the front counter reach-in cooler or the one in the kitchen light shield? David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 7 Mar. 2024 Chinese policymakers face mounting challenges to boost a flagging economy, including how to stabilise the property sector, counter deflationary pressures, reverse foreign capital outflows, and save a battered stock market. Laura He, CNN, 4 Mar. 2024 Sitting in the back also allowed more privacy and made for easier conversation than sitting shoulder to shoulder to shoulder in a row at the counter. Scott Howard-Cooper., Los Angeles Times, 3 Mar. 2024
Verb
That was meant to counter a spell of deflationary trends where people held back on purchases in hopes of lower prices, which led companies to invest less and to cut back on wages. Yuri Kageyama, Quartz, 19 Mar. 2024 Tanz appeared to want to counter the impression that the global streamer is pulling back its investment on local language series in Europe, noting that Netflix currently has 40 European projects shooting across the continent. Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 Mar. 2024 Angel City held most of the possession through the start of Sunday’s season-opener, but Bay FC seemed ready to counter attack and create turnovers on pressing opportunities that should provide Oshoala with plenty of goal-scoring chances in the club’s first season. Jason Mastrodonato, The Mercury News, 18 Mar. 2024 The bill also allocated funding to counter the flow of fentanyl into the country. Sarah Lapidus, The Arizona Republic, 18 Mar. 2024 Prosecutors countered that those records were clearly presidential, not personal, and included top-secret information and documents related to nuclear programs and the military capabilities of the U.S. and foreign countries. Eric Tucker, Fortune, 15 Mar. 2024 Powers counters that other municipal utilities have sprung up in recent years. Rob Nikolewski, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Mar. 2024 Later, after the Beavers had pulled to within 46-42 on back-to-back three-pointers, Andrews countered with one of his own. Ben Bolch, Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 2024 The princess countered with a handsome reward to find them. Alex Williams, New York Times, 11 Mar. 2024
Adverb
Available in four colors, including matte black and icy blue, the appliance will look just as good parked on your kitchen counter as it would be tucked away in a cabinet. Averi Baudler, Peoplemag, 15 Feb. 2024 To their left sat Hit-Boy, the song’s producer, while Big Hit — Hit-Boy’s father — served as a human money counter on their right, throwing bills and twisting fingers. Kenan Draughorne, Los Angeles Times, 22 Jan. 2024 This allows each person in your home to decorate their own house without dedicating your entire kitchen counter to displaying the gingerbread village all season long. Nicole Pyles, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Dec. 2023 Alicia left bar work and began delivering mail for the U.S. Postal Service and working the deli counter at a grocery store on her days off. Eli Hager, ProPublica, 16 Oct. 2023 But counter to Philippone’s strategy, China reportedly asked Iranian officials for help stopping Houthi attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea. Ethan Barton, Fox News, 14 Feb. 2024 Hunting advocates counter that the species’ resilience proves coyotes can be hunted sustainably. Tribune News Service, Orange County Register, 2 Feb. 2024 Irina Shayk Wears Oversize Black Sweatshirt and Boots in 95-Degree New York City Shayk's surprising ice skating outfit isn't the first the former Victoria's Secret angel has dressed counter to the temps outside. Erin Clack, Peoplemag, 8 Jan. 2024 It’s framed by a grand feu–enamel minutes track in white with an enamel seconds counter at six o’clock. Paige Reddinger, Robb Report, 18 Nov. 2023
Adjective
If the action leads to trade restrictions, it could be met with counter restrictions from Beijing. Aarian Marshall Will Knight, WIRED, 29 Feb. 2024 For Ukraine, that includes airpower, both fighter jets and drones; electronic-warfare capability to counter Russian jamming; and counter-battery fire to locate and target Russian artillery systems. Joshua Yaffa, The New Yorker, 8 Jan. 2024 This is counter to the way NASA traditionally develops its rockets. Stephen Clark, Ars Technica, 15 Jan. 2024 The Pentagon’s failure to disclose Austin’s hospitalization is counter to normal practice with the president and other senior U.S. officials and Cabinet members. Lolita C. Baldor, Twin Cities, 5 Jan. 2024 Hatred and antisemitism are completely counter to the university’s values, and the safety and well-being of our community must be our highest priorities. Rebecca Cohen, NBC News, 18 Nov. 2023 The Pentagon’s failure to disclose Austin’s hospitalization is counter to normal practice with other senior U.S. and Cabinet officials, including the president. Lolita C. Baldor, Fortune, 6 Jan. 2024 Contrary to surface appearances, this constant motion of my life has been involuntary and counter to my desires. Kate Christensen, Vogue, 24 Dec. 2023 But as Israel began mounting its counter attack on Gaza — an offensive which has so far claimed over 3,000 lives, according to Palestinian officials — some Google employees grew increasingly dismayed that the company had made no statement regarding the loss of Palestinian life. Gerrit De Vynck, Washington Post, 22 Oct. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'counter.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English countour, countere "table used for counting money or auditing accounts, metal disk used for arithmetic calculations," borrowed from Anglo-French countour, comptor (Middle French compteor "table used by a merchant to display wares and count money"), from conter, compter, cunter "to count, calculate, count as valid, relate, narrate" + -our, -or (Middle French -eoir), going back to Latin -ātōrium, from -ā-, stem formative of verbs + -tōrium, suffix denoting a place or object used for the activity of the verb (from neuter of -tōrius, adjective derivative of the agent noun -tōr-, -tor) — more at count entry 1

Note: See note at counter entry 2.

Noun (2)

Middle English countour, cowntere "person who counts or calculates, official who oversees the collection of taxes, pleader in court (who makes the conte, a formal statement of the basis of the case)," borrowed from Anglo-French cunteor, cuntur, countur "narrator, informant, pleader in court," from conter, compter, cunter "to count, calculate, count as valid, relate, narrate" + -eur, -ur, going back to Latin -ātōr-, -ātor, from -ā-, stem formative of verbs + -tōr-, -tor, agent suffix — more at count entry 1

Note: counter entry 1 and counter entry 2 have been homonyms since Middle English and were likely already homonyms in Anglo-French. They are separated here and in the Oxford English Dictionary, though the Middle English Dictionary treats them under a single lemma. In modern French they are distinct, with counter entry 1 corresponding to comptoir and counter entry 2 corresponding to conteur, though conteur is now used to mean "storyteller," as the base verb conter usually means "recount, relate."

Verb

Middle English countren, contren "to act against, oppose, contradict," derivative of contre counter entry 4 or its source, Anglo-French contre

Adverb

Middle English countre, countir, borrowed from Anglo-French contre, cuntre "against, in opposition to," going back to Latin contrā, adverb and preposition, "opposite, facing, against" — more at contra-

Noun (3)

derivative of counter entry 4 and counter entry 6; (sense 2) perhaps of distinct origin

Adjective

in part derivative of counter entry 4, in part independent use of counter--

Prefix

borrowed from Anglo-French contre-, cuntre- (also Middle French contre-), prefixal use of contre counter entry 4

First Known Use

Noun (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Adverb

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (3)

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1582, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of counter was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near counter

countenance

counter

counter-

Cite this Entry

“Counter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/counter. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

counter

1 of 7 noun
count·​er ˈkau̇nt-ər How to pronounce counter (audio)
1
: a piece (as of metal or plastic) used in counting or in games
2
: a level surface (as a table) over which business is done or food is served or on which goods are displayed

counter

2 of 7 noun
count·​er
: one that counts
especially : a device for indicating a number or amount

counter

3 of 7 verb
coun·​ter
ˈkau̇nt-ər
countered; countering ˈkau̇nt-ə-riŋ How to pronounce counter (audio)
ˈkau̇n-triŋ
1
: to act in opposition to : oppose
countering the claim for damages
2
: to give a blow in return
counter with a left hook

counter

4 of 7 adverb
coun·​ter
: in another or opposite direction
acting counter to advice

counter

5 of 7 noun
coun·​ter
1
: the act of giving a return blow
2
: the blow given

counter

6 of 7 adjective
coun·​ter
1
: moving in an opposite direction
the ship slowed by counter tides
2
: designed to oppose
a counter opinion

counter-

7 of 7 prefix
coun·​ter-
1
a
: contrary : opposite
counterclockwise
b
: opposing : retaliatory
counteroffensive
2
: like : matching
counterpart
Etymology

Noun

Middle English countour "something used in counting," from early French countour (same meaning), from Latin computatorium "a place for counting or keeping accounts," from earlier computare "to count, compute" — related to count entry 1, compute

Verb

Middle English countren "to oppose," from early French contre "against" — related to contra-, counter-

Prefix

derived from Latin contra "against, opposite" — related to contra-

Medical Definition

counter

1 of 2 noun
count·​er ˈkau̇nt-ər How to pronounce counter (audio)
: a level surface over which transactions are conducted or food is served or on which goods are displayed or work is conducted
a lunch counter

counter

2 of 2 noun
: one that counts
especially : a device for indicating a number or amount see geiger counter

Legal Definition

counter-

prefix
coun·​ter-
ˈkau̇n-tər
1
a
: contrary : opposite
counterletter
b
: opposing : retaliatory
counteraction
2
: complementary : corresponding
countersign
3
: duplicate : substitute
counterpart

More from Merriam-Webster on counter

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