Countervailing

2 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Countervail \Coun`ter*vail"\ (koun`t?r-v?l"), v. t. [imp. & p.
     p. {Countervailed} (-v?ld); p. pr. & vb. n.
     {Countervailing}.] [OF. contrevaloir; contre (L. contra) +
     valoir to avail, fr. L. valere to be strong, avail. See
     {Vallant}.]
     To act against with equal force, power, or effect; to thwart


     or overcome by such action; to furnish an equivalent to or
     for; to counterbalance; to compensate.
     [1913 Webster]
  
           Upon balancing the account, the profit at last will
           hardly countervail the inconveniences that go allong
           with it.                                 --L'Estrange.
     [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  countervailing
       adj 1: compensating for [syn: {offsetting}, {compensatory}, {compensative}]
       2: acting against with equal force or influence