Other forms: countermanded, countermanding
To countermand is to cancel an order already given. Countermand the order, countermanded by the general, countermand instructions.
It can only be done by somebody with at least equal authority, which is what distinguishes it from disobeying — countermanding is an order against an order. It is formal and chiefly military and legal. Note that the counter- means against, and mand comes from the Latin for ordering.
1verbcountermandTo cancel an order already given.
“The general countermanded the order to attack just minutes before the soldiers moved.”
countermand is a cancelling.
The Latin is to order, the same ordering in command. To countermand is to give the order that cancels the one before it.
hooks ontocommand
Old French contremander is contre, against, plus mander, to order, from Latin mandare. Mandate and command come from the same ordering.
Medieval Latin
contramandō
Old French
contremander
English, today
countermand
Built from
From Old French contremander, from Medieval Latin contramandō, from contra + mandō (“to order; to command”).
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA