counter-priming
|coun-ter-prim-ing|
🇺🇸
/ˈkaʊn.tərˌpraɪ.mɪŋ/
🇬🇧
/ˈkaʊn.təˌpraɪ.mɪŋ/
(counter-prime)
oppose a prior influence
Etymology
'counter-priming' originates from Modern English, specifically combining the prefix 'counter-' (from Latin via Old French 'contre') meaning 'against' or 'opposite', and 'priming' from the verb 'prime' (ultimately from Latin 'primus' meaning 'first' / 'primary').
'counter-' entered English from Old French 'contre' (from Latin 'contra') and attached to English verbs and nouns in later Middle and Modern English usage; 'prime' as a verb (sense 'to prepare' or 'to set up influence') developed from Old French/Latin roots and produced the noun/verb forms 'prime' → 'priming'; these elements combined in Modern English to form the compound 'counter-priming'.
Initially the components conveyed the ideas 'against' ('counter-') and 'first/prepare' ('prime'); over time the compound came to mean specifically an action or process that opposes or undoes the cognitive effect of a prior priming stimulus ('counter-priming').
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the process or technique of neutralizing, reversing, or reducing the effect of an earlier priming stimulus in an experiment or cognitive context.
The study introduced counter-priming between trials to remove residual bias from previous stimuli.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Verb 1
to apply a counter-prime; to act so as to cancel or offset the effect of a prior prime.
Researchers counter-primed participants to offset the earlier bias.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/11/16 09:02