Counteroffers

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Proposals made in response to initial offers, seeking to modify terms or conditions before an agreement is reached
2. Negotiations where one party responds to a proposed deal with alternate terms, indicating a willingness to discuss adjustments
3. Responses to offers aimed at changing specific aspects or extending negotiations to find mutually acceptable terms

Etymology: "Counteroffers" is the plural of "counteroffer," a compound built from "counter-" and "offer." The "offer" half comes from Latin "offerre," meaning "to present" or "to bring before," and reached English through Old French, where its older sense of putting something forward gave rise to the modern idea of a proposal that another party may accept. The "counter-" half is the more layered of the two. It descends from Latin "contrā," meaning "against" or "opposite," which passed into Old French as "contre" and then into Anglo-Norman as "countre" before appearing in Middle English as "counter." Its sense of opposition is preserved in the new word: a counteroffer is an offer pushed back against the first one, not a separate proposal made in isolation. The compound is English-built, formed by joining these two familiar elements. Because it is a transparent combination, its meaning can be read straight from its parts: an offer given in reply, shaping the terms still under negotiation.

Synonyms: counterproposal, reoffer