counterrevolutionary

adj

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"counterrevolutionary" is a 20-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“counterrevolutionary” is uncommon English (frequency #86,169 among 5,599 “C” headwords), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#86,169
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - In opposition to a revolution.

Corpus desk

Index EN-counterrevolutionary · counterrevolutionary · English

counterrevolutionary · rank #86,169 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #86,169
  • LEN-MEGA 20 letters
  • VOW-10 10 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH cornetto

Nearest frequency peer: cornetto (-2 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Long-tail ranks near “counterrevolutionary”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “counterrevolutionary” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for counterrevolutionary
PropertyValue
Headwordcounterrevolutionary
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
Letters20
Frequency rank#86,169
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “counterrevolutionary” in English

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).counterrevolutionaryfalls in this rarity band:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Rare peers in the same band: “cornetto” (#86,167), “coyly” (#86,172), “Crespi” (#86,176). Among 5,599 “C” headwords, “counterrevolutionary” is #86,169. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

counterrevolutionary is uncommon English at frequency #86,169 among 5,599 “C” headwords, classed as anadjective. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "In opposition to a revolution.".

No generated misspelling entries exist for counterrevolutionary in our index, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

Etymologically, the entry records: From counter- + revolutionary. Originally applied to thinkers who opposed themselves to the 1789 French Revolution. The correct English form is counterrevolutionary, spelled C-O-U-N-T-E-R-R-E-V-O-L-U-T-I-O-N-A-R-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    In opposition to a revolution.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how counterrevolutionary appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. In early 1990, he was sentenced to two years by the Loudi Prefecture Intermediate Court on a charge of "counterrevolutionary propaganda and incitement." He was then sent to Longxi Prison for reform through labor, and has since been released.
  2. It seems likely that states in the Middle East and North Africa could divide into three camps. […] In the second, Egypt and Tunisia will struggle to realize their revolutionary promise and ideals while resisting the counterrevolutionary forces of the old regimes.

Etymology

From counter- + revolutionary. Originally applied to thinkers who opposed themselves to the 1789 French Revolution.

This word in other languages

antirrevolucionario(Español)contre-révolutionnaire(Français)konterrevolutionär(Deutsch)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "counterrevolutionary"?
"counterrevolutionary" is spelled C-O-U-N-T-E-R-R-E-V-O-L-U-T-I-O-N-A-R-Y.
What does "counterrevolutionary" mean?
As an adjective, "counterrevolutionary" means: In opposition to a revolution.
What is the origin of the word "counterrevolutionary"?
From counter- + revolutionary. Originally applied to thinkers who opposed themselves to the 1789 French Revolution. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "counterrevolutionary", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 20 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

compartmentalization#85,127immunohistochemistry#83,366electrophysiological#83,214tetrahydrocannabinol#94,331

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list