counterpose

[ koun-ter-pohz ]

verb (used with object)

, coun·ter·posed, coun·ter·pos·ing.

1. to offer or place in opposition, response, or contrast.

Word History and Origins

Origin of counterpose¹

First recorded in 1585–95; counter- + (pro)pose

Example Sentences

The two directors counterpose images of destruction - the charred remains of an apartment block, a herd of cows sinking in a field destroyed by bombing - with everyday scenes of companionship and love.

From Reuters

Russia’s invasion has forced Cypriot leaders to counterpose political support for the E.U. and Ukraine and the island’s economic dependency on Russian money.

From Washington Post

To Watson and Crick, the double-helix model of DNA—with two complementary “yin-yang” strands counterposed against each other—instantly suggested a mechanism for replication.

From Literature

The stereotypes that the phrase "housewife" recalls — manicured lawns, whiteness, nuclear families like in "Leave it to Beaver" — may seem counterposed to liberal values, emblematic of a reactionary ideal of an idyllic American past.

From Salon

In contrast to Wife Guys like Tripp, the "Wife Didn't Approve" guy — or Anti-Wife Guy, as I call them — defines his identity as counterposed to his wife.

From Salon

Related Words

• balance
• cancel out
• counteract
• equal
• negate
• neutralize
• outweigh