countercoup

American

[koun-ter-koo] / ˈkaʊn tərˌku /

noun

plural

countercoups

a coup aimed at the replacement of a government that itself achieved power through an earlier coup.

Etymology

Origin of countercoup

First recorded in 1960–65; counter- + coup ¹

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The king and his family then relocated to northern Greece, seeking to lead a countercoup.

From Washington Post • Jan. 11, 2023

A few months later, he was forced to flee the country after leading an unsuccessful countercoup against the then military junta.

From Reuters • Jan. 10, 2023

Riyadh was so outraged by the 1995 coup that it tried to reinstall Khalifa with a countercoup a year later.

From Washington Times • Oct. 4, 2017

Eight months later, a countercoup mounted by King Constantine II failed.

From New York Times • Oct. 8, 2010

Pictures of the King and Queen, which had been taken down from government offices in the first hours of the countercoup, were put back in their accustomed places.

From Time Magazine Archive

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023