Countervail
/ˌkaʊntərˈveɪl/noun
To offset, oppose, or balance the effect of something.
Did you know?Countervail entered English through legal and political language, where it meant to offset a force or claim, and it ultimately comes from Latin roots meaning to be stronger against something.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
valēre
“to be strong, to be worth, to have power”
Late Latin
Latin
contra- + valēre
“to be strong against; to oppose effectively”
Old French
Old French
contrevaillier
“to counterbalance, offset, or compensate”
Middle English
English
countervailen
“to offset, overbalance, or act against”
Modern English
English
countervail
“to offset, oppose, or neutralize an effect”