'counteractable' originates from English, specifically formed from the verb 'counteract' plus the suffix '-able', where 'counter-' (from Old French 'contre') meant 'against', 'act' (from Latin 'agere' via Old French 'agir') meant 'to do/act', and the suffix '-able' meant 'capable of'.

'counteract' developed from Old French elements such as 'contre' + 'agir' (to act) and was used in Middle English as 'counteract'; the adjective 'counteractable' is a later English formation by adding the productive suffix '-able' to 'counteract', yielding the modern English 'counteractable'.

Originally related to the verb sense 'to act against' (i.e., to oppose or neutralize); over time the derived adjective came to mean 'capable of being opposed or neutralized' (able to be counteracted).