countervail

American  

[koun-ter-veyl] / ˌkaʊn tərˈveɪl /

verb (used with object)

1. to act or avail against with equal power, force, or effect; counteract.

   Synonyms:

   neutralize, counterpoise, counterbalance

2. to furnish an equivalent of or a compensation for; offset.

3. Archaic. to equal.

---

verb (used without object)

1. to be of equal force in opposition; avail.

countervail British  

/ ˌkaʊntəˈveɪl, ˈkaʊntəˌveɪl /

verb

1. to act or act against with equal power or force

2. (tr) to make up for; compensate; offset

---

Other Word Forms

• uncountervailed
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of countervail

1350–1400; Middle English contrevailen < Anglo-French countrevail-, tonic stem (subjunctive) of countrevaloir to equal, be comparable to < Latin phrase contrā valēre to be of worth against (someone or something). See counter-, -valent

Explanation

To countervail is to oppose something successfully. To countervail is to counteract, counterbalance, or neutralize. This verb is best known to us in the form of its participle countervailing, which gets far more time in the limelight as an adjective than countervail gets as a verb. A favorite combo these days is countervailing duty, a duty imposed on imports to match (or retaliate for) what a foreign government is imposing. You could say a running back was countervailed if a defensive player stops him in his tracks.