counterinsurgency

noun

Etymology: Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *ḱe? Proto-Indo-European *ḱóm Proto-Italic *kom Proto-Italic *kom- Proto-Indo-European *-teros Proto-Italic *-teros Proto-Italic *komterosder. Proto-Italic *komterād Latin contrāder. Old French contre- Anglo-Norman countre-bor. Middle English counter- English counter- English insurgent English -cy English insurgency English counterinsurgency From counter- + insurgency.

1. Any political or military action taken to defeat insurgency, especially during guerrilla warfare.

   “The United States will continue to pursue a military and civilian counterinsurgency strategy in Afghanistan.”

   “Mr. Petraeus almost single-handedly forced a profound evolution in the country’s military thinking and doctrine with his philosophy of counterinsurgency, focused more on protecting the civilian population than on killing enemies.”