counterproposal

American

[koun-ter-pruh-poh-zuhl] / ˈkaʊn tər prəˈpoʊ zəl /

noun

a proposal offered to offset or substitute for a preceding one.

counterproposal British

/ ˈkaʊntəprəˌpəʊzəl /

noun

a proposal offered as an alternative to a previous proposal

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of counterproposal

First recorded in 1880–85; counter- + proposal

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.

Iranian spokesmen laid out their counterproposal in a statement Monday morning.

From Slate • May 11, 2026

The group presented a counterproposal that would have provided them with improved financial terms, people familiar with the matter said.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 2, 2026

The White House is likely to respond with a counterproposal in the coming days, according to a Wall Street Journal report, published Monday night.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 28, 2026

Iran rejecte External link d the plan and presented a counterproposal on state TV, according to the Associated Press.

From Barron's • Mar. 25, 2026

The interchange of question and answer, of proposal and counterproposal, the crowded counsellors, Mr. Gladstone's subtleties, the abrupt and complicated resolutions—these things invariably left him confused and perplexed.

From Eminent Victorians by Strachey, Giles Lytton

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