counternarrative

noun

coun·​ter·​nar·​ra·​tive ˌkau̇n-tər-ˈner-ə-tiv How to pronounce counternarrative (audio)
-ˈna-rə-
variants or counter-narrative
plural counternarratives or counter-narratives
: an alternative or contradictory narrative
Theirs was a counternarrative that contrasted starkly with the assessments of military commanders who lauded the operation as a triumph.—Luke Mogelson
As ever, we entrust our history to scientists, sometimes governments and corporations, rather than to those who produce counter-narratives that could unsettle our place in the world.—Sarah Cefai

Examples of counternarrative in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Attempts to commemorate the Nakba have long been rooted in a counternarrative that connects Palestinian culture and society to their pre-1948 hometowns and villages. — Maha Nassar, The Conversation, 11 May 2023 For this reason and others, Harris’ book—written in engaging prose while filling more than 700 pages—represents both an overdue corrective and a compelling counternarrative. — Luke Savage, Smithsonian Magazine, 17 Feb. 2023 Spinning together a counternarrative for tens of millions of viewers, Russian propagandists plucked clips from American cable news, right-wing social media and Chinese officials. — Aaron Krolik, New York Times, 15 Dec. 2022 The power of a relic isn’t in its aesthetics but in its narrative — and this unremarkable domestic object holds within it the story of Manifest Destiny overlaid with Didion’s trenchant counternarrative. — Los Angeles Times, 8 Nov. 2022 See All Example Sentences for counternarrative

Word History

Etymology

counter- + narrative entry 1

First Known Use

circa 1685, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of counternarrative was circa 1685

Rhymes for counternarrative

See All Rhymes for counternarrative

Browse Nearby Words

counternaiant
counternarrative
counteroffensive
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Counternarrative.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/counternarrative. Accessed 4 Aug. 2026.

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