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

“As counterintuitive as it may seem, yes, I definitely do value job security,” she told MarketWatch.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 3, 2026

Long before Cherny pressed send on that fateful message, Anthropic’s founders had chosen a counterintuitive strategy that would come to define the company.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 21, 2026

It sounds counterintuitive, but I love getting ready for the first real meal after a spring clean.

From Salon • Mar. 19, 2026

The idea that convection can occur within an ice sheet may seem counterintuitive at first.

From Science Daily • Mar. 14, 2026

In chapter 2, when I was discussing what made someone like Mark Alpert so important in word-of-mouth epidemics, I talked about two seemingly counterintuitive aspects of persuasion.

From "The Tipping Point" by Malcolm Gladwell

Related Words

• unreasonable