Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A charge in opposition to another charge.
  • intransitive verb To bring a charge against (one's accuser).
  • intransitive verb To make a countercharge.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • To charge in return; make an accusation against (one's accuser).
  • In decoration, to arrange (a design) so that elements may be repeated by simple reversion; to reverse (a design).
  • noun An opposing charge; specifically, a charge made by an accused person against his accuser.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun An opposing charge.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun An accusation against an opponent in an argument in response to the opponent's accusations.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a retaliatory charge
  • noun a charge brought by an accused person against the accuser

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

counter- +‎ charge

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Examples

  • They weren’t nearly as willing to accept the countercharge from the Obama campaign that Clinton herself had flip-flopped in answering the question (earlier in the year, while criticizing Bush’s recalcitrance about meeting with rogue leaders, she had expressed practically the same sentiment as Obama), because such a slip-up didn’t track with the emerging campaign narrative of Clinton as disciplined and savvy.

    Teacher and Apprentice 2007

  • They weren’t nearly as willing to accept the countercharge from the Obama campaign that Clinton herself had flip-flopped in answering the question (earlier in the year, while criticizing Bush’s recalcitrance about meeting with rogue leaders, she had expressed practically the same sentiment as Obama), because such a slip-up didn’t track with the emerging campaign narrative of Clinton as disciplined and savvy.

    Teacher and Apprentice 2007

  • If you want to understand the interplay of charge and countercharge between republicans and democrats go to “glen Beck clips” and watch vidio fo3/24/2010.

    The DNC thinks shooting at Republicans ‘appropriate.’ [And a fundraising opportunity!] | RedState 2010

  • His lawyer, Robert Amsterdam, has hinted at a countercharge by posting photos on his website showing soldiers firing at protesters during the height of last week's clashes.

    Thaksin Faces Thai Terrorism Charges 2010

  • His lawyers—plural—threatened a countercharge of police harassment, and Ms. Caroline King had declined to press charges.

    Tough Customer Sandra Brown 2010

  • Obama, appearing unusually feisty and at times sarcastic, led the countercharge himself.

    McCain: Americans Should Be Afraid -- Very Afraid -- Of President Obama 2009

  • In politics, when someone levels a charge at you, you have three choices: respond to the substance of the attack (show their facts are wrong), deflect attention with a countercharge (he's much worse than I am) or fire off an insult.

    Top Iowa Story: Edwards Hits Hillary Over Planted Questions ��� Hillary Team Hits Back 2009

  • Now see, what Colon did, that was a "countercharge."

    Top Iowa Story: Edwards Hits Hillary Over Planted Questions ��� Hillary Team Hits Back 2009

  • | Reply | Permalink countercharge that for so long set Dems quaking and scurrying off to their consultants for advice.

    Obama Decries "Second Gilded Age" 2009

  • Either way, it's certainly interesting to hear the candidates, at least rhetorically, framing the debate in such stark terms, without worrying about the "class warfare" countercharge that for so long set Dems quaking and scurrying off to their consultants for advice. print share

    Obama Decries "Second Gilded Age" 2009

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