counterforce
counterforce — noun
- counterforcesingular
- counterforcesplural
1. a person, group, movement, or idea that actively pushes back against another pow
a person, group, movement, or idea that actively pushes back against another powerful influence, aiming to limit or balance it — for example, an independent judiciary acting as a counterforce to executive power.
The growing environmental movement acted as a counterforce to unchecked industrial expansion.
counterforce to [noun]
An independent judiciary serves as a vital counterforce against government overreach in a democracy.
counterforce against [noun]
Without a strong counterforce from organised labour, corporate influence over policy grew unchecked.
Small local newspapers acted as a counterforce to dominant political voices in rural areas.
- counterbalance
suggests an even, steadying effect rather than active opposition
- check
more specific — a limit or restraint rather than an opposing force
- opposition
broader; does not imply the balanced, structural role that counterforce suggests
- ally
a person or group that actively supports rather than opposes
文法句型
a counterforce to [noun]
counterforce against [noun]
用法筆記
Often used with 'act as', 'serve as', or 'provide' to describe the function of a check or balance.
常見錯誤
2. military missions that focus on destroying an opponent's weapons, command centre
military missions that focus on destroying an opponent's weapons, command centres, and equipment so that they cannot launch major attacks — as opposed to operations that target civilian areas.
The general approved a counterforce strike aimed at disabling the enemy's missile launchers.
attributive: counterforce strike
Military planners studied satellite images to identify targets for future counterforce operations.
counterforce operations — attributive use
The treaty limited both nations' capacity to conduct counterforce missions against each other.
A successful counterforce strategy can reduce an enemy's ability to mount a large-scale attack.
- countervalue
the opposing concept — targeting civilians — not a synonym but a contrast term learners confuse with counterforce
文法句型
counterforce strike
counterforce strategy
counterforce capability
用法筆記
Usually used attributively (before a noun: counterforce strike, counterforce capability). In military theory, contrasted with 'countervalue' (targeting cities and civilian infrastructure).
3. a push or pull that points the opposite way from an applied force, reducing or c
a push or pull that points the opposite way from an applied force, reducing or cancelling out its effect — for example, the backwards push a wall exerts against your hand when you press on it.
Push against a wall and it exerts an equal counterforce back on your hand.
exert a counterforce — physical action-reaction
Engineers calculated the precise counterforce needed to keep the dam stable against water pressure.
The piston transforms the counterforce of expanding gas into rotational motion for the engine.
Without a counterforce from the support cables, the bridge would sway dangerously in high winds.
- reaction force
the precise physics term; less common in general writing
- opposing force
less specific; can refer to any kind of opposition
- equal and opposite force
descriptive paraphrase rather than a single-word synonym
文法句型
counterforce of [noun]
counterforce [verb]
counterforce generated by [noun]
用法筆記
Related to Newton's third law of motion (action and reaction). In everyday contexts, the counterforce is usually equal in size and opposite in direction to the applied force.