countermeasure

noun

coun·​ter·​mea·​sure ˈkau̇n-tər-ˌme-zhər How to pronounce countermeasure (audio)
-ˌmā-
: an action or device designed to negate or offset another
The most well-known countermeasure by a physician is a malicious-persecution suit against the lawyer who sued him and failed to prove a case.William J. Curran
The Germans had developed a tricky magnetic mine, but the British had developed a countermeasure for this even before the mine was used.Bernard Brodie and Fawn M. Brodie

Examples of countermeasure in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web These drone deployments have in turn led to the development of new countermeasures, including electronic warfare systems that jam drones’ communications links or pinpoint the location of the operators on the ground, who can then be attacked. Paul Scharre, Foreign Affairs, 29 Feb. 2024 But the Chiefs authored two countermeasures that turned the Super Bowl. Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Feb. 2024 This includes introducing tariffs, as well as other possible countermeasures. Christopher Hutton, Washington Examiner, 8 Jan. 2024 Its drone countermeasure technology is in use by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, which covers Las Vegas and its major stadiums. David Ingram, NBC News, 9 Feb. 2024 At the very least, the United States should expect China and Russia to develop sophisticated countermeasures and tactics to protect these mobile assets. David Zikusoka, Foreign Affairs, 2 Feb. 2024 Russian developers will attempt to detect or counter the spoofing — and the Ukrainians will modify their system to counter the countermeasures. David Hambling, Forbes, 12 Feb. 2024 For instance, tne extension downgrade can disable a countermeasure available starting in October’s release of OpenSSH version 9.5. Dan Goodin, Ars Technica, 19 Dec. 2023 It’s based on a law, the Defense Production Act, that lets the government require private companies to make materials deemed necessary for national defense, in this case essential medicines and medical countermeasures. John Wilkerson, STAT, 28 Nov. 2023

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

Word History

First Known Use

1923, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of countermeasure was in 1923

Dictionary Entries Near countermeasure

Cite this Entry

“Countermeasure.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/countermeasure. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

countermeasure

noun
coun·​ter·​mea·​sure ˈkau̇nt-ər-ˌmezh-ər How to pronounce countermeasure (audio)
-ˌmāzh-
: an action or device designed to counteract another
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!