counteroffer
UK[ˈkaʊntərˌɒfə(r)]US[ˈkaʊntərˌɔːfər]
n
an offer made in response to another offer, especially a higher price offered by a buyer when a seller's price is considered too high.
Morpheme Breakdown
counter
offer
counter
against
offer
proposal
Etymology
the word 'counteroffer' is a transparent compound formed within english. the prefix 'counter-', derived from latin contra, entered english through anglo-norman and middle french, consistently carrying the sense of opposition or reciprocation. it was attached to the noun 'offer', which originates from the latin verb offerre (ob- "toward" + ferre "to bring"), signifying the act of presenting something. the compound thus logically denotes an offer made in direct response to a preceding one, perfectly capturing the back-and-forth dynamic of negotiation. this formation exemplifies the analytical nature of english in creating precise terminology for commercial and legal contexts.
Analysis
Structure: counter (against) + offer (proposal)
- counter: from latin contra meaning "against". functions as a prefix indicating opposition or response.
- offer: from latin offerre ("to bring before, present") via old english offrian. functions as the root noun meaning a proposal or bid.
Examples
after rejecting the initial salary proposal, she submitted a counteroffer.
the seller was disappointed with the low bid but decided to make a counteroffer.
their counteroffer included better terms, which led to a successful deal.