Go to MSN Homeencarta®
HomeEncyclopediaDictionaryAtlasK-12 SuccessCollege & Grad SchoolAdult LearningQuizzesMore
Dictionary
Find
in
Dictionary
Thesaurus
Translations
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
Click to move up the list of words
countdown
countenance
counter (1)
counter (2)
counter (3)
counter-
counter card
Counter Reformation
counteract
counterargument
counterattack
counterattraction
counterbalance
counterbattery fire
counterblast
counterchange
countercharge
Click to move down the list of words
Print Preview
See pronunciation key
Search for "countera..." in all of MSN Encarta
E-mail this entry
Blog about this entry on MSN Spaces
Download the MSN Encarta Right-Click Dictionary

counteract
coun·ter·act [ kòwntər ákt ] (past and past participle coun·ter·act·ed, present participle coun·ter·act·ing, 3rd person present singular coun·ter·acts)


transitive verb 
Definition:
 
lessen effect of: to prevent something from having an effect, or lessen its effect

coun·ter·ac·tion noun
coun·ter·ac·tive adjective
coun·ter·ac·tive·ly adverb
Encarta® World English Dictionary [North American Edition] © & (P)2007 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing Plc.
Advertisement

Also on Encarta
• 10 tips for building your English vocabulary
• Alternatives to the M.B.A.
• GPS for students
• Saving for college
• Presidential Myths Quiz
• Coffee break: Recharge your brain
Englishtown: Learn English online
Our Partners
• ApplyWise Online College Admissions Counseling
• The Princeton Review
• Tutor.com: Live Help When You Get Stuck
Also on MSN
• Project Earth: Big Ideas for Saving the Planet on the Discovery Channel
• MSN Shopping: Best books for the season
• MSN Careers: Nail that job interview
• Today's news on MSNBC
Encarta Message Boards (© Rubberball/Jupiterimages)
MSN Shopping
Upgrade your Encarta experience
Encarta RSS Feeds
© 2008 Microsoft