countermeasure

noun

coun·​ter·​mea·​sure ˈkau̇n-tər-ˌme-zhər 

-ˌmā-

: an action or device designed to negate or offset another

The most well-known countermeasure by a physician is a malicious-persecution suit against the lawyer who sued him and failed to prove a case.

—William J. Curran

The Germans had developed a tricky magnetic mine, but the British had developed a countermeasure for this even before the mine was used.

—Bernard Brodie and Fawn M. Brodie

especially : electronic countermeasure

Examples of countermeasure in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

By then, though, a missile may have released countermeasures or multiple reentry vehicles. —Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 25 Apr. 2026

It can also be integrated with expendable countermeasures that create acoustic decoys to confuse incoming torpedoes. —Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 22 Apr. 2026

Tickets for the Games were sold exclusively to spectators residing in China’s mainland who met the requirements of the COVID-19 countermeasures. —Anna Lazarus Caplan, PEOPLE, 15 Apr. 2026

Minesweeping duties were turned over to three littoral combat ships equipped with the mine-countermeasures package, but the location of those ships has not been disclosed. —Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 13 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1923, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing countermeasure

• counter-countermeasure
• electronic countermeasure

Rhymes for countermeasure

• displeasure
• leisure
• measure
• pleasure
• treasure

Kids Definition

countermeasure

noun

coun·​ter·​mea·​sure ˈkau̇nt-ər-ˌmezh-ər 

-ˌmāzh-

: an action or device designed to counteract another