Countervail

• POS: Verb (usu participle), Verb (transitive)
• HYPHEN: coun=ter=vail

CIDE DICTIONARY

Countervail, v. t. [OF. contrevaloir; contre (L. contra) + valoir to avail, fr. L. valere to be strong, avail. See Vallant.].

 To act against with equal force, power, or effect; to thwart or overcome by such action; to furnish an equivalent to or for; to counterbalance; to compensate.  [1913 Webster]
"Upon balancing the account, the profit at last will hardly countervail the inconveniences that go allong with it."  [1913 Webster]

Countervail, n. 

 Power or value sufficient to obviate any effect; equal weight, strength, or value; equivalent; compensation; requital.  [1913 Webster]
"Surely, the present pleasure of a sinful act is a poor countervail for the bitterness of the review."  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Countervail, v.
1 tr. counterbalance.
2 tr. & intr. (often foll. by against) oppose forcefully and usu. successfully.

Idiom

countervailing duty a tax put on imports to offset a subsidy in the exporting country or a tax on similar goods not from abroad.

Etymology

ME f. AF contrevaloir f. L contra valere be of worth against

THESAURUS

Countervail

accommodate, adjust, amend, antagonize, atone for, balance, be antipathetic, be at cross-purposes, be inimical, be opposed to, beat against, cancel, clash, collide, compensate, conflict, conflict with, confute, contradict, contrapose, contrast with, contravene, controvert, coordinate, correct, counter, counteract, counterattack, counterbalance, countercheck, counterpoise, counterpose, counterweigh, counterwork, cross, equalize, equate, equiponderate, even, even up, fit, foil, frustrate, go against, go counter to, integrate, interfere with, join the opposition, juxtapose in opposition, level, lock horns, make up, meet head-on, militate against, not abide, offset, oppose, oppugn, outweigh, overcome, play at cross-purposes, poise, proportion, protest, rectify, redeem, resist, run against, run counter to, set off, square, square up, strike a balance, surmount, swim upstream, take issue with, thwart, traverse, vote against, withstand, work against

ROGET THESAURUS

Countervail

Inequality

VB be unequal, countervail, have the advantage, give the advantage, turn the scale, kick the beam, topple, topple over, overmatch, not come up to.

Compensation

VB make compensation, compensate, compense, indemnify, counteract, countervail, counterpoise, balance, outbalance, overbalance, counterbalance, set off, hedge, square, give and take, make up for, lee way, cover, fill up, neutralize, nullify, equalize, make good, redeem.

Counter Evidence

VB countervail, oppose, mitigate against, rebut, subvert, cheek, weaken, contravene, contradict, tell the other side of the story, tell another story, turn the scale, alter the case, turn the tables, cut both ways, prove a negative, audire alteram partem.