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Synonyms

counterinsurgency

American  
[koun-ter-in-sur-juhn-see] / ˌkaʊn tər ɪnˈsɜr dʒən si /

noun

plural

counterinsurgencies

  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 British  
/ ˌkaʊntərɪnˈsɜːdʒənsɪ /

noun

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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
counterinsurgency Cultural  

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

Other Word Forms

  • counterinsurgent noun

Etymology

Origin of counterinsurgency

First recorded in 1960–65; counter- + insurgency

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

But the U.S. was fully engaged in counterinsurgency strategies in Iraq and Afghanistan, which made a priority of using the weapons the Pentagon already had instead of producing the new ones of the future.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 10, 2025

The weapon, which been in use by the Army and Marine Corps since 2005, has provided firepower in counter terror and counterinsurgency operations in places like Syria for years.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 21, 2025

The counterinsurgency doctrine made famous by Gen. David Petraeus governed operations during my time in Iraq.

From Slate • Jun. 10, 2025

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

From BBC • Nov. 13, 2024

Instead, counterinsurgency efforts focus on a strategy of "clear, hold, and build"—"clearing" areas of insurgents and death squads, "holding" those areas with Iraqi security forces, and "building" areas with quick-impact reconstruction projects.

From The Iraq Study Group Report by Iraq Study Group (U.S.)

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.