counterinsurgency

[ koun-ter-in-sur-juhn-see ]

noun

, plural coun·ter·in·sur·gen·cies.

1. a program or an act of combating guerrilla warfare and subversion.

adjective

1. of, relating to, or designed for combating guerrilla warfare and subversion:

   counterinsurgency funds.

counterinsurgency

/ ˌkaʊntərɪnˈsɜːdʒənsɪ /

noun

1. action taken by a government to counter the activities of rebels, guerrillas, etc

counterinsurgency

1. Military power applied in guerrilla warfare in support of the established government.

Other Words From

• counter·in·surgent noun adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of counterinsurgency¹

First recorded in 1960–65; counter- + insurgency

Example Sentences

He later deployed to Afghanistan as a counterinsurgency instructor in Kabul.

From BBC

A US military base located in Kenya’s coastal county of Lamu has been the backbone of those counterinsurgency operations.

From BBC

“Look, we have painful experience in counterinsurgency campaigns fighting terrorists in urban environments, in populated areas,” said Sullivan, referring to long U.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

From Seattle Times

“The massacres in Nondin and Soro villages are just the latest mass killings of civilians by the Burkina Faso military in their counterinsurgency operations,” Human Rights Watch Executive Director Tirana Hassan said in a statement.

From Seattle Times

"The massacres in Nondin and Soro villages are just the latest mass killings of civilians by the Burkina Faso military in their counterinsurgency operations," said Tirana Hassan, executive director of Human Rights Watch.

From BBC

Related Words

• battle
• campaigning
• clash
• combat
• competition
• discord
• fighting
• rivalry
• strife
• struggle
• war