Countervailing

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ˌkaʊntəˈveɪlɪŋ/

Definitions

1. Acting in a manner that provides an opposing influence to balance or counteract a particular force or effect
2. Serving as a mitigating force that offsets another's impact, ensuring equilibrium between competing elements
3. Creating an effect that works against another to maintain balance

Etymology: "Countervailing" is the present participle of "countervail", a verb that came into English from Anglo-Norman "countrevaloir", itself from Old French "contrevaloir". Its deepest root is the Latin phrase "contrā valēre", meaning "to be strong against", and that literal sense of opposing strength is still visible in the adjective today. The verb's core idea is one of equal force: a thing that is strong enough to offset another. Over time the word moved from simply describing a pushing back to describing a balancing, so that countervailing forces are not necessarily defeating each other but holding one another in check. That is why the phrase "countervailing power" became a fixture of economic and political writing, describing groups whose opposing pressures keep any one party from dominating.

Synonyms: opposing, contradicting, offsetting, balancing, neutralizing

Antonyms: supporting, favoring, promoting, encouraging, boosting