counterintuitive

adjective

coun·​ter·​in·​tu·​i·​tive ˌkau̇n-tər-in-ˈtü-ə-tiv How to pronounce counterintuitive (audio)
-ˈtyü-
: contrary to what one would intuitively expect
As counterintuitive as it may seem, the universe has no center, and it has no boundary.Jim Bell
counterintuitively adverb

Examples of counterintuitive in a Sentence

It may seem counterintuitive, but we do burn calories when we are sleeping.
Recent Examples on the Web
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At a time when real life can feel like a nightmare, a collective turn toward the ghoulish and the ghastly might seem counterintuitive, but the Gothic genre has always offered a space to examine the darkest corners of the human psyche. M.l. Rio, New York Times, 14 Feb. 2025 Considering the 2024 Ravens defense was only good with Hamilton at safety, moving him back to the nickel seems counterintuitive. Derrik Klassen, The Athletic, 12 Feb. 2025 Preventing concussions was the main driver behind the introduction of checking, as counterintuitive as that may seem. Steve Douglas, Chicago Tribune, 11 Feb. 2025 Though counterintuitive, the way forward is for Pump.Fun to divorce itself from the culture of frenzied financial speculation on which its early success has been built, Tweedale proposes. Joel Khalili, WIRED, 15 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for counterintuitive

Word History

First Known Use

1955, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of counterintuitive was in 1955

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Cite this Entry

“Counterintuitive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/counterintuitive. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.

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