crosscurrent

[kraws-kur-uhnt, -kuhr-, kros-]

noun

1. a current, as in a stream, moving across the main current.

2. Often crosscurrents. a conflicting tendency or movement.

crosscurrent

/ ˈkrɒsˌkʌrənt /

noun

1. a current in a river or sea flowing across another current

2. a conflicting tendency moving counter to the usual trend

Other Word Forms

• crosscurrented adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of crosscurrent¹

First recorded in 1590–1600; cross- + current

Example Sentences

“It might be subtle, but it creates crosscurrents and ripples that you might not predict.”

From Los Angeles Times

Geragos said that while “there are so many crosscurrents,” with some prosecutors and relatives supporting the brothers and others opposing them, it’s a judicial decision.

From Los Angeles Times

"There's a lot of crosscurrents here, in terms of voters thinking about the economy," said Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody's Analytics.

From BBC

The policy, though, has gotten caught in fierce crosscurrents about how to navigate the economic and political trade-offs demanded by climate change in a world where power is shifting and international institutions are fracturing.

From New York Times

Mr. Lankford has previously found himself swept up in the crosscurrents of Republican politics.

From New York Times

Related Words

• atmosphere 
• aura 
• feeling 
• hint 
• inclination 
• indication 
• intimation 
• murmur 
• overtone 
• sense 
• tinge 
• undertone 
• undertow