Counterrevolution

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. An organized effort to reverse or oppose a revolution, typically by those seeking to restore a previous political or social system
2. A mobilization aimed at negating the changes brought by a revolution, often undertaken by groups desiring to reestablish an earlier regime or order
3. A concerted movement intended to counteract revolutionary change, typically involving efforts to reinstate a prior political system or societal structure

Etymology: The word is a plain compound: "counter-" attached to "revolution," and it means an effort to reverse a revolution. The prefix has a longer road than the noun it sits on. It descends from Proto-Italic "komterā," a form built on "kom," meaning "with" or "together," and it passed through Latin "contrā," meaning "against" or "opposite," before reaching Old French as "contre." Anglo-Norman carried it into English, where it became "counter-," a prefix used long before modern politics needed it. The base word has its own shift. "Revolution" once meant a physical turning around, as of the heavens or a wheel, and only later came to describe the overthrow of a government. "Counterrevolution" therefore literally means a turning back against a turning, and it names a movement that tries to turn political events back to their earlier state.