countercurrent

American  

[koun-ter-kur-uhnt] / ˈkaʊn tərˌkɜr ənt /

noun

1. a current running in an opposite direction to another current.

2. a movement, opinion, mood, etc., contrary to the prevailing one.

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countercurrent Scientific  

/ koun′tər-kûr′ənt /

1. A current that flows in an opposite direction to the flow of another current.

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Other Word Forms

• countercurrently
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of countercurrent

First recorded in 1675–85; counter- + current

Example Sentences

Still, some of the most standout moments at Coachella 2026 seemed almost indifferent to that logic, suggesting that — as music is wont to do — a countercurrent may be bubbling up.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 26, 2026

You're right that that's coming back to the fore today, although I think there's also a strong countercurrent.

From Salon • May 15, 2022

These lectures get the job done, but, along with frequent detours into back story, sometimes feel like a frustrating countercurrent to the momentum of the book’s present, ongoing plot.

From New York Times • Jan. 10, 2022

McPhee writes admiringly of the Corps’ grit, determination, even genius, but running through the essay is a strong countercurrent.

From The New Yorker • Mar. 25, 2019

These hindrances, when they have become subtle, are to be removed by a countercurrent.

From The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali: the Book of the Spiritual Man by Johnston, Charles