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.

---

counterintuitive British  

/ ˌkaʊntərɪnˈtjuːɪtɪv /

adjective

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

2. intelligence collected about enemy espionage

---

Etymology

Origin of counterintuitive

First recorded in 1960–65; counter- + intuitive

Example Sentences

That runs counterintuitive to recent strong corporate earnings and economic data that have underpinned much of the optimism for 2026, beyond artificial intelligence.

From Barron's

That might sound counterintuitive to most people, but Platt grew up in the spotlight, and finds the immersive immediacy of live performance soothing.

From Los Angeles Times

So along comes a counterintuitive piece of research from the quants at AQR Capital Management, who say “buy the dip” actually isn’t so great after all, at least not compared to “buy and hold.”

From MarketWatch

This will seem counterintuitive, especially in the era of rapid-fire trading and zero-dated options, when every hour seems like a chance to make money.

From Barron's

This will seem counterintuitive, especially in the era of rapid-fire trading and zero-dated options, when every hour seems like a chance to make money.

From Barron's

Related Words

• unreasonable