SYNONYMS AND RELATED EXPRESSIONS
counterintuitive
adjective
Contrary to what intuition or ordinary expectation suggests.
Local English device voice, when available. This is not a recorded dictionary pronunciation.
Contrary to expectation
Closest synonyms
Related words and expressions
These extend or explain the idea and may require a different sentence structure.
Usage distinction
Return to topCounterintuitive does not mean incorrect or unreasonable; evidence can support an unexpected result.
CHECK THE MEANING IN CONTEXT
See counterintuitive in use
The puzzle's counterintuitive solution became clear after a simple demonstration.
A nearby community gathering was an extrinsic influence that might have brought more people past the library on one evening. The busiest session had also used the smallest room, a counterintuitive result for members who expected capacity alone to predict turnout.
Compare an alternative with the original word in each passage. Shared meanings do not make every pair interchangeable.
Synonym reference scope and sources
The groups distinguish the senses selected for this study entry. Closest synonyms and broader related expressions have separate labels. The listed sources support lexical selection; not every phrase is a direct quotation from a source.
How the synonym reference was prepared / WordNet 3.0 license