late 14c., countrevaillen, "to be worth as much as," also "to prevail against, resist with equal force," from Anglo-French countrevaloir, Old French contrevaloir "to be effective against, be comparable to," from Latin phrase contra valere "to be worth against" (see contra- and valiant). Related: Countervailing.
counter-revolution
countersign
counterstroke
counter-tendency
countertop
countervail
countess
counting
countless
countrified
country