This week we continue our vocabulary-building series, “The Closing Word.” Each week we provide a new word to help build your vocabulary and show you an example of how to use it.
This week’s closing word:
countermand
Pronounced: (COUNT-uhr-mand)
Verb:
cancel officially
Noun:
a contrary command cancelling or reversing a previous command
From Vocabulary.com: “Counter means “opposing” or “opposite,” and mand is short for “mandate” or “command.” Put them together and you’ve got countermand — an “opposing command.” When you issue a countermand, you cancel the original command and usually replace it with a new one. Countermand is often used in a military context, but it can be applied more widely.”
Example:
“Special conditions in the contract gave the buyer power to countermand the offer.”
