Dictionary
Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.
countermand en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- /ˈkaʊntɚˌmænd/ (General-American)
- (Southern-England) audio
- /ˌkaʊntɚˈmænd/ (General-American)
- /ˌkaʊntəˈmɑːnd/ (Received-Pronunciation)
Etymology
From Old French contremander, from Medieval Latin contramandō, from contra + mandō (“to order; to command”).
Meanings
-
(transitive) An order to the contrary of a previous one.
Forms
Translations (9)
it contrordine (an order to the contrary of a previous one) · ru контрприка́з (an order to the contrary of a previous one) · pl odwołanie (an order to the contrary of a previous one) · es contraorden (an order to the contrary of a previous one) · fr contrordre (an order to the contrary of a previous one) · sh kontranaredba (an order to the contrary of a previous one) · ru отме́на прика́за/распоряже́ния (an order to the contrary of a previous one) · pl cofnięcie (an order to the contrary of a previous one) · sh opoziv (an order to the contrary of a previous one)
countermand en · VERB
Pronunciation
- /ˈkaʊntɚˌmænd/ (General-American)
- (Southern-England) audio
- /ˌkaʊntɚˈmænd/ (General-American)
- /ˌkaʊntəˈmɑːnd/ (Received-Pronunciation)
Etymology
From Old French contremander, from Medieval Latin contramandō, from contra + mandō (“to order; to command”).
Meanings
-
(transitive) To revoke (a former command); to cancel or rescind by giving an order contrary to one previously given.
Near-synonym: counteract
to countermand an order for goods
-
(transitive) To recall a person or unit with such an order.
-
(transitive) To cancel an order for (some specified goods).
Three of the maids of honour ſent to countermand their birth-day cloaths; two of them burnt all their collections of novels and romances, and ſent to a bookſeller’s in Pall-mall to buy each of them a bible, and Taylor’s holy living and dying.
1727, Jonathan Swift, A True and Faithful Narrative of What Passed in London:
-
(figuratively, transitive) To counteract, to act against, to frustrate.
Early on, Ezra gives her a lesson to countermand the endless female impulse to apologise: “Darling, don’t continually say ‘I’m sorry’. Next time you feel like saying ‘I’m sorry’, instead say ‘Fuck you’.”
2018 February 28, Justine Jordan, “Asymmetry by Lisa Halliday review – a dizzying debut”, in The Guardian:
-
(obsolete, transitive) To prohibit (a course of action or behavior).
Avicen countermands letting blood in choleric bodles.
1672, Gideon Harvey, Morbus Anglicus, Or, The Anatomy of Consumptions:
-
(obsolete, transitive) To oppose or revoke the command of (someone).
For us to alter anything, is to lift ourselves against God; and, as it were, to countermand him.
[1594], Richard Hooker, edited by J[ohn] S[penser], Of the Lawes of Ecclesiastical Politie, […], London: […] Iohn Windet, […], →OCLC, (please specify the page):
-
(obsolete, transitive) To maintain control of, to keep under command.
Two thousand horſe ſhal forrage vp and downe,
That no reliefe or ſuccour come by land.
And all the ſea my Gallies countermaund.
c. 1587–1588 (date written), [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […], 2nd edition, part 1, London: […] [R. Robinson for] Richard Iones, […], published 1592, →OCLC; reprinted as Tamburlaine the Great (A Scolar Press Facsimile), Menston, Yorkshire; London: Scolar Press, 1973, →ISBN, Act III, scene i:
Forms
Deriveds
countermander · uncountermanded · countermandment · countermandable
Relateds
counterargue
Synonyms
override · forbid · veto · prohibit · counteract · rescind · cancel
Translations (19)
pl cofać (to revoke (a former command)) · ru отменя́ть (to revoke (a former command)) · pl cofnąć (to revoke (a former command)) · fr contrordre (to revoke (a former command)) · pl odwoływać (to recall a person or unit) · pl odwoływać (to revoke (a former command)) · bg анулирам (to revoke (a former command)) · bg оттеглям (to recall a person or unit) · ru отзыва́ть (to recall a person or unit) · ca contraordre (to revoke (a former command)) · bg отменям (to revoke (a former command)) · ro contramanda (to revoke (a former command)) · ru отозва́ть (to recall a person or unit) · pl odwołać (to recall a person or unit) · ru отмени́ть (to revoke (a former command)) · sh opozvati (to revoke (a former command)) · pl odwołać (to revoke (a former command)) · ru аннули́ровать (to revoke (a former command)) · sh opozvati (to recall a person or unit)