Meaning & use
a counteroffer
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Meanings
nouncountable
An offer made in reply to another offer, usually changing the terms.
Grammar: Countable; use a/an or the before it. Often appears in the phrase make a counteroffer.
Patterns
- make a counteroffer
- a counteroffer to something
- a counteroffer of an amount
She made a counteroffer of $250,000 after the seller asked for $300,000.
The company rejected our counteroffer and stuck to its original price.
We are waiting for their counteroffer before we sign anything.
nouncountablebusiness
In a job situation, a higher offer from your current employer to persuade you to stay.
Grammar: Countable; often used in the phrase accept a counteroffer.
Patterns
- accept a counteroffer
- a counteroffer from an employer
He got a counteroffer from his boss and decided to stay.
She turned down the counteroffer because she wanted a new challenge.
Companies sometimes use counteroffers to keep good employees.
Word forms
| plural | counteroffers |
|---|
Common combinations
- make a counteroffer
- If you don't like the price, you can make a counteroffer.
- accept a counteroffer
- He accepted the counteroffer and stayed at his job.
- reject a counteroffer
- The seller rejected our counteroffer.
- a counteroffer to something
- Their counteroffer to the original deal was too low.
Synonyms and how they differ
- counterbid
- Used especially in auctions or competitive bidding; a counteroffer is more general for any reply to an offer.
Commonly confused: a counteroffer or offer?
a counteroffer vs offer
An offer is the first proposal; a counteroffer is a reply that changes it. Don't use counteroffer for the original offer.
Practice
After the landlord asked for $1,200 a month, we ___ of $1,100.
Choose one answer.
The phrase is make a counteroffer; the article an is needed before the singular countable noun. Option 1 is less standard because counteroffer is usually one word in this phrase. Option 2 is wrong because counteroffer needs a determiner. Option 3 is wrong because the is not used when introducing a new counteroffer for the first time.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “a counteroffer”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.