'counter-tradition' originates from Old French/Latin and Latin, specifically the prefix 'counter-' from Old French 'contre' (from Latin 'contra') where 'contra' meant 'against', and 'tradition' from Latin 'traditio' where 'traditio' meant 'a handing over'.

'counter-' entered English via Old French 'contre' and Middle English 'countre'; 'tradition' came into English from Latin 'traditio' through Old French. The modern compound 'counter-tradition' developed in modern English by combining the prefix 'counter-' (meaning 'against') with 'tradition'.

Initially the parts signified 'against' + 'handing over' (i.e., opposition to handed-down practices); over time the compound came to mean a distinct set of practices that intentionally opposes or offers an alternative to an established tradition.