countercyclical
|coun-ter-cyc-li-cal|
🇺🇸
/ˌkaʊntərsaɪˈklɪkəl/
🇬🇧
/ˌkaʊntəsaɪˈklɪkəl/
against the cycle
Etymology
'countercyclical' originates from English, formed by the prefix 'counter-' (from Latin 'contra' via Old French) combined with 'cyclical' (from Greek 'kyklos'), where 'counter-' meant 'against' and 'kyklos' meant 'circle' or 'cycle'.
'countercyclical' emerged as a compound (often hyphenated as 'counter-cyclical') in modern English economic usage; 'cyclical' itself developed from 'cycle' + the adjectival suffix '-ical'.
Initially constructed to mean 'against or opposing a cycle' in a general sense, it became specialized in economic and policy contexts to mean 'opposite to the business/economic cycle'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
(Economics) Moving or acting in the opposite direction to the business or economic cycle; e.g., policies or measures that increase activity in a recession and restrain it in a boom.
The government adopted countercyclical fiscal measures to cushion the recession.
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Adjective 2
acting against cyclical trends more generally; opposing a recurring cycle or pattern in a given context (not limited to economics).
A countercyclical hiring strategy increases recruitment when most firms are cutting jobs.
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Last updated: 2025/10/20 01:36