Countervail

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /ˈkaʊntəveɪl/

Definitions

1. To provide a balancing force that mitigates a negative impact To act in opposition to something, providing an equivalent force to neutralize its effects To offset detrimental influences by applying a compensatory pressure or force
2. To apply a force or influence that balances out or neutralizes the effect of something else
3. To create an opposing effect that diminishes or cancels the impact of another factor

Etymology: The verb descends from a Latin phrase that meant more or less what it still does: "contrā valēre," literally "to be strong against." The Latin verb "valēre" ("to be strong, be worth") is the same root behind "value," "valiant" and "valid," so the word's core idea is one of strength or worth set against something else. That phrase passed into Old French as "contrevaloir," meaning to be of equal worth or to offset, and from there into Anglo-Norman "countrevaloir," which carried it across to England. The English form keeps the balancing sense intact: to countervail is to push back with equal or greater force, so that the opposing effect neutralises whatever it meets. Economists and political writers have used it especially for offsetting powers, such as a counterweight to a dominant interest, and that is where it remains most at home today.

Synonyms: counteract, offset, balance, compensate

Antonyms: aggravate, intensify