counterprotest

noun

coun·​ter·​pro·​test ˈkau̇n-tər-ˌprō-ˌtest How to pronounce counterprotest (audio)
variants or counter-protest
plural counterprotests or counter-protests
: a protest staged to counter or oppose another protest
A rally … got heated Saturday afternoon. Police stepped in to help de-escalate tensions after a counterprotest emerged …Colleen MacDonald
counterprotester noun
or counter-protester
plural counterprotesters or counter-protesters
Standing near the back of the crowd at yesterday's rally were about a dozen counterprotesters Sue Young Wilson
Nazis may still march, but they are inevitably outnumbered by counter-protesters. Ellis Cose

Examples of counterprotest in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web There were no major counterprotests, but some attendees voiced frustration. CBS News, 12 May 2024 Between the counterprotest and the attack two days later, the rabbi said, his group received a flood of reports — spread on social media and shared in WhatsApp group chats — of students being denied entry to classrooms and some people being threatened with tasers and other weapons. Matthew Ormseth, Los Angeles Times, 10 May 2024 In recent weeks, pro-Palestinian protests have spread across U.S. campuses, met with arrests and counterprotests. Koh Ewe, TIME, 6 May 2024 Stand With Us co-founder Roz Rothstein said on X that 1,000 people joined the counterprotest. Mirna Alsharif, NBC News, 29 Apr. 2024 It was met by a counterprotest from a small band of transgender rights campaigners, Reuters video showed. Amy Cassidy, CNN, 10 Apr. 2024 Ahead of the protest, the Rainbow Youth Project partnered with Parasol Patrol, a group that shields children from protesters with umbrellas, and other local and national advocacy groups to create a counterprotest. Jo Yurcaba, NBC News, 7 Mar. 2024 The reason the mayor needs a view on the war in Gaza is that its aftershocks play out on London’s streets—in protests and counterprotests, in rising antisemitism and Islamophobia. Peter Guest, WIRED, 26 Mar. 2024 The episode ends with Larry standing frozen between two sides of a demonstration: a mob of Jews, led by an irate Susie, protesting the restaurant’s new location next door to a Jewish deli and an equally angry Palestinian counterprotest led by Shara. TIME, 2 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'counterprotest.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1595, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of counterprotest was in 1595

Dictionary Entries Near counterprotest

Cite this Entry

“Counterprotest.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/counterprotest. Accessed 18 May. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on counterprotest

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!