counter-revolutionaries
|coun-ter-rev-o-lu-tion-ar-ies|
🇺🇸
/ˌkaʊn.tɚ.rɛvəˈluːnəriz/
🇬🇧
/ˌkaʊn.tə(r).rɛvəˈljuːnəriz/
(counter-revolutionary)
against a revolution
Etymology
'counter-revolutionary' originates from the prefix 'counter-' (from Old French 'contre' ultimately from Latin 'contra' meaning 'against') combined with 'revolutionary', which comes from 'revolution' (from Latin 'revolutio' meaning 'a turn around').
'revolution' passed from Latin 'revolutio' into Old French 'revolution' and then into Middle English; the prefix 'counter-' entered English via Old French 'contre' and was later used productively to form compounds such as 'counter-revolution' and 'counter-revolutionary' in modern English.
Initially the parts meant 'against' + 'a turning (revolution)'; over time the compound came to denote people or forces opposing revolutionary movements or the ideas/policies associated with them—an opposition that is political and often restorative in aim.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
plural form of 'counter-revolutionary': people who oppose a revolution or who act to overthrow or reverse revolutionary changes, often aiming to restore the previous regime or order.
The counter-revolutionaries attempted to retake the city.
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Adjective 1
adjective form of 'counter-revolutionary': describing actions, policies, or forces that are opposed to a revolution or seek to reverse revolutionary change.
The government cracked down on groups labeled counter-revolutionaries.
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Last updated: 2025/11/20 02:18