counterintuitive

American  

[koun-ter-in-too-i-tiv, -tyoo-] / ˌkaʊn tər ɪnˈtu ɪ tɪv, -ˈtyu- /

adjective

1. counter to what intuition would lead one to expect.

   The direction we had to follow was counterintuitive—we had to go north first before we went south.

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counterintuitive British  

/ ˌkaʊntərɪnˈtjuːɪtɪv /

adjective

1. (of an idea, proposal, etc) seemingly contrary to common sense

2. intelligence collected about enemy espionage

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Etymology

Origin of counterintuitive

First recorded in 1960–65; counter- + intuitive

Example Sentences

It was a counterintuitive choice, turning the guy who led the country in touchdown passes into a rusher whose gangly 6-foot-5 frame sometimes made it look like he was sprinting on a frozen lake.

From The Wall Street Journal

This phenomenon arises from a counterintuitive property of gravity, where systems bound by gravity become hotter as they lose energy rather than cooling down.

From Science Daily

To question if he’s an all-time great isn’t just counterintuitive.

From Los Angeles Times

There are two key reasons for this seemingly counterintuitive result.

From The Wall Street Journal

Though it may seem counterintuitive, climate change is forecast to lead to both more intense droughts and more intense episodes of rainfall.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• unreasonable