Counterassault

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A tactical military or strategic action taken in response to an initial attack intended to repel or neutralize the aggressors ; a deliberate and immediate offensive measure launched to regain lost ground or disrupt an enemy's advance ; a coordinated and reactive maneuver aimed at defending against and reversing the effects of an opposing strike
2. An organized return offensive carried out following an attack to push back or eliminate the threat ; a rapid and forceful assault designed to counteract or diminish the impact of an enemy’s initial strike ; a prompt and purposeful response aimed at regaining control or disrupting hostile forces after they have attacked
3. A responsive strike made to defend against and undermine a preceding aggressive move ; a planned operation acting as a countermeasure to an adversary’s offensive ; a swift and decisive combat action employed to challenge and repel an opposing force’s initial aggression

Etymology: Counter- is the prefix from Latin "contra," meaning "against," which English has used since the Middle Ages to mark an action that opposes another. Assault came into English from Old French "assaut," which in turn comes from Vulgar Latin "assaltus," a noun built from the verb "assalire," "to leap upon." Joined together, the two parts describe a strike that leaps back against an attack already underway, so the word is a plain compound rather than a term with a dramatic backstory. The sense has shifted a little over time. Assault in its older English uses meant a military storming of a fortified place, and the countermeasure in this word carries that same sense of a physical, forceful advance. In modern military usage the term is applied to a planned response to an opponent's offensive, so the meaning moves from a single blow toward a deliberate operation.

Synonyms: counterattack, retaliation, reprisal, counterstrike, response

Antonyms: assault, attack