counter-investment
|coun-ter-in-vest-ment|
🇺🇸
/ˌkaʊn.tɚ ɪnˈvɛst.mənt/
🇬🇧
/ˌkaʊn.tə(r) ɪnˈvɛst.mənt/
investment against another
Etymology
'counter-investment' is a compound of the prefix 'counter-' and the word 'investment.' 'Counter-' originates from Old French 'contre' (from Latin 'contra'), where 'contra' meant 'against.' 'Investment' originates from Latin 'investire' via Old French 'investir,' where 'in-'/ 'in-' meant 'in' and 'vestire' meant 'to clothe' (later extended to 'putting on' or 'putting into').
'investment' comes from Latin 'investire' → Old French 'investir'/'investissement' → Middle English 'investen'/'investment'; 'counter-' comes from Latin 'contra' → Old French 'contre' and was added to English bases to mean 'against' or 'in opposition to.' The modern compound 'counter-investment' formed by combining these elements to indicate an investment made against or in response to another.
Originally 'investire' literally meant 'to clothe or surround'; over time 'invest' acquired financial senses of 'putting resources into' and 'investment' came to mean the allocation of capital. 'Counter-' has retained the sense 'against' so 'counter-investment' now means an investment made against or to offset another investment.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
an investment made to offset, neutralize, or reduce the financial risk or exposure created by another investment (often used as a hedging or offsetting measure).
The fund made a counter-investment to reduce exposure from its failing holdings.
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Noun 2
an investment made in response to a competitor's or counterpart's investment, intended to preserve market position or counteract a rival's strategic move.
Their counter-investment in marketing matched the rival company's expansion plans.
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Last updated: 2025/10/18 11:17