counteroffensive
KOWN-ter-uh-fen-siv
/ˌkaʊntərəˈfɛnsɪv/
A large-scale military offensive undertaken by a defending force to strike back against an attacking enemy.
Implies a major, strategic shift from defense to offense, designed to seize the initiative back from the invader.
The story behind the word. The word is a modern compound. It combines the Latin-derived prefix 'counter-' (meaning 'against' or 'in opposition to') with 'offensive' (from 'offendere', meaning 'to strike against'). It entered military lexicon to describe the massive, coordinated fightbacks of the World Wars.
Word relationships
- counterattack: A counterattack is typically a localized, immediate response to an attack, while a counteroffensive is a massive, planned strategic campaign.
- retaliation: Retaliation is a broad term for returning like for like, often motivated by revenge, whereas a counteroffensive is a structured military campaign.
- retreat: A retreat is a withdrawal from the enemy, the direct opposite of launching a counteroffensive.
- capitulation: Capitulation is surrendering to the enemy, whereas a counteroffensive is a fierce fightback.
Commonly confused with
- offensive: An offensive is any major attack, while a counteroffensive is specifically an offensive launched in response to an enemy's initial attack.
Word family
- counteroffensives (noun): Plural form of counteroffensive.
Collocations
- launch a counteroffensive
- massive counteroffensive
- spring counteroffensive
Example sentences
- "The army launched a major counteroffensive along the eastern front, catching the overextended invaders completely by surprise." A strategic analysis of a major campaign.
Memory hook
Think of a boxer who blocks a punch and immediately throws a massive, fight-ending combination—that is a counteroffensive. Block the blow, then launch the counteroffensive.
When not to use
Do not use for a minor, local counterattack; a counteroffensive is a massive, theater-wide strategic operation.
Fun facts
- The Battle of the Bulge was essentially a desperate German counteroffensive designed to split the Allied lines in late 1944.
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