the act of overthrowing a government that gained power via a coup d'état
countercoup in American English
(ˈkauntərˌkuː)
nounWord forms: plural-coups (-ˌkuːz)
a coup aimed at the replacement of a government that itself achieved power through an earlier coup
Word origin
[1960–65; counter- + coup1]This word is first recorded in the period 1960–65. Other words that entered Englishat around the same time include: bicycle kick, deinstitutionalize, pop art, proxemics, tag question
Examples of 'countercoup' in a sentence
countercoup
Nor is there anyone of stature to lead a countercoup.