Definition

Noun: A large-scale military offensive action launched by a defending force. Its primary purpose is to seize the strategic initiative from an attacking enemy force. It is a more extensive and ambitious operation than a simple counterattack.

Usage

The term is used in military and strategic contexts to describe a decisive, organized response to an enemy's offensive. It implies a shift from a defensive posture to an aggressive one aimed at regaining lost territory or achieving a strategic advantage.

Examples

• The general planned a counteroffensive to push the invading forces back across the border.
• After months of defense, the army's successful counteroffensive changed the course of the war.
• Analysts are watching to see if the defenders can muster the resources for a meaningful counteroffensive.

Advanced Usage

• The concept can be applied metaphorically in non-military contexts, such as politics, business, or sports, to describe a vigorous and large-scale effort to regain an advantage after being on the defensive.
  • The company launched a marketing counteroffensive to recapture its market share from new competitors.

Variants and Related Words

• Counterattack (noun/verb): A more immediate and typically smaller-scale attack made in response to an enemy's attack. A counteroffensive is generally larger and more strategic than a counterattack.
• Offensive (noun): A coordinated military operation to attack.
• Defense (noun): The action of defending from or resisting attack.

Synonyms

• Blitz
• Push
• Strike (in a strategic sense)

Antonyms

• Retreat
• Defense
• Surrender

Noun

1. a large scale offensive (more than a counterattack) undertaken by a defending force to seize the initiative from an attacking force