countervail

[koun-ter-veyl]

verb (used with object)

1. to act or avail against with equal power, force, or effect; counteract.

   Synonyms: neutralize, counterpoise, counterbalance

2. to furnish an equivalent of or a compensation for; offset.

3. Archaic.,  to equal.

verb (used without object)

1. to be of equal force in opposition; avail.

countervail

/ ˌkaʊntəˈveɪl, ˈkaʊntəˌveɪl /

verb

1. to act or act against with equal power or force

2. (tr) to make up for; compensate; offset

Other Word Forms

• uncountervailed adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of countervail¹

1350–1400; Middle English contrevailen < Anglo-French countrevail-, tonic stem (subjunctive) of countrevaloir to equal, be comparable to < Latin phrase contrā valēre to be of worth against (someone or something). See counter-, -valent

Word History and Origins

Origin of countervail¹

C14: from Old French contrevaloir, from Latin contrā valēre, from contrā against + valēre to be strong

Example Sentences

“The countervailing tension exists between avoiding estate tax through lifetime transfers and avoiding capital gains tax through step-up at death,” he says.

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The Commerce Department will issue antidumping duty orders and countervailing duty orders on such imports as a result.

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The 10-percent lumber tariff stacks on anti-dumping and countervailing duties the country faces, and the United States recently more than doubled these to 35 percent.

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The countervailing question is whether Ms. Sears can present voters with an alternative.

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But COVID, for me, felt like when the last link was cut, this old idea of democracy, that it could be sort of a countervailing force against power, tech, finance.

Read more on Los Angeles Times