contracyclical
|con-tra-cy-clic-al|
🇺🇸
/ˌkɑntrəsaɪˈklɪkəl/
🇬🇧
/ˌkɒntrəsaɪˈklɪk(ə)l/
against the cycle
Etymology
'contracyclical' originates from Latin/Greek components and English compounding: the prefix 'contra-' from Latin 'contra' meaning 'against' and 'cyclical' from 'cycle' (Greek 'kyklos') meaning 'circle' or 'wheel', combined in modern English to mean 'against the cycle'.
'contracyclical' was formed in modern English by combining the Latin prefix 'contra-' and the adjective 'cyclical' (from Greek 'kyklos' via Latin/Old French/English). The term appears in 20th-century economic writing as an analogue/variant to 'countercyclical'.
Initially a literal compound meaning 'against the cycle', its usage narrowed in economics to mean specifically 'opposite to the business/economic cycle' (e.g., policies that offset cyclical fluctuations).
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the quality or state of being contracyclical; behavior or policy that runs counter to the cyclical movements of the economy.
Contracyclicality in public spending can stabilize aggregate demand over the cycle.
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Adjective 1
acting or moving in the opposite direction to the economic or business cycle; used of policies or variables that counteract cyclical fluctuations.
The government adopted contracyclical fiscal measures to dampen the boom and support the economy in downturns.
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Last updated: 2025/10/20 02:20