counter-earth
|coun-ter-earth|
🇺🇸
/ˈkaʊn.tɚˌɝθ/
🇬🇧
/ˈkaʊn.təˌɜːθ/
an Earth opposite or mirrored to our Earth
Etymology
'counter-earth' is a modern English compound formed from 'counter' (meaning 'opposite' or 'against') + 'earth'.
'counter-earth' developed in English as a translation/compound reflecting the idea found in ancient Greek 'antichthon' (ἀντίχθων), where 'anti-' meant 'opposite' and 'khthōn' meant 'earth'; later the term was adapted in modern usage (including fiction) as 'counter-earth'.
Originally the concept comes from an ancient cosmological idea of an unseen world opposite Earth; over time the term has been used both in historical/philosophical contexts and as a trope in modern fiction meaning an alternate or mirror Earth.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a hypothetical planet posited in some ancient cosmologies (notably Pythagorean) thought to exist opposite Earth.
In Philolaus's cosmological model there was a counter-earth that balanced the known bodies.
Synonyms
Noun 2
in modern fiction and popular culture, an alternate or duplicate Earth positioned opposite the real Earth (often hidden from view), used as a setting for stories.
Several science-fiction stories describe a counter-earth that orbits on the far side of the Sun, hidden from our view.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/10/19 22:18