Entgegenwirken

Entgegenwirken is a German verb that means to counteract, oppose, or act against something in order to limit its negative effects. It is used to describe actions designed to offset trends, harms, or undesirable developments in various contexts, such as politics, public health, science, and daily language.

Etymology and usage

The word combines the prefix entgegen- with the verb wirken (to have an effect). It is typically treated as a separable-prefix verb. In finite clauses the prefix often appears as a separate element at the end of the sentence, as in wirkt dem Trend entgegen. The past participle is entgegengewirkt, used in compound tenses (hat/ist entgegengewirkt). The object of entgegnwirken is usually the thing being opposed, commonly in the dative or accusative case depending on the construction.

Contexts and examples

Common contexts include policy and regulation, where measures are described as counteracting a trend or risk. Examples: Maßnahmen wirken dem Anstieg der Verschmutzung entgegen. Politische Reformen wirken dem Trend zur Ungleichheit entgegen. Präventionsprogramme wirken dem Krankheitsrisiko entgegen. In everyday language it can express a deliberate effort to mitigate or reverse adverse outcomes.

Alternatives and related terms

Entgegenwirken is close in meaning to gegenwirken, which also denotes counteracting or resisting something. Related concepts include entgegenstehen (to oppose), abmildern (to mitigate), and verhindern (to prevent). The choice of term often depends on nuance and register.

See also

Gegenwirken, entgegenstehen, abmildern, verhindern

Notes

Entgegenwirken conveys an active, preventive stance aimed at reducing a negative effect, rather than passive opposition.