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
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The counternarrative is in part animated by a series of particularly stiff sentences for the Jan. 6 defendants, including one of more than 12 years in prison handed down on Wednesday for a rioter who savagely assaulted a D.C. police officer, Michael Fanone. Robert Draper, New York Times, 23 June 2023 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 The counternarrative also had echoes of the Jan. 6 insurrection, in which many Trump supporters blamed left-wing activists for the violence. Elizabeth Dwoskin, Washington Post, 9 Jan. 2023 The debate is one of the last opportunities for his rivals to offer a counternarrative about his candidacy. New York Times, 16 June 2021 See all Example Sentences for counternarrative 

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1685, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of counternarrative was circa 1685

Dictionary Entries Near counternarrative

Cite this Entry

“Counternarrative.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/counternarrative. Accessed 29 Nov. 2024.

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