counteractive

Describing something as counteractive means that it counteracts—it acts against or in opposition to something else. This usually means that it has an offsetting or neutralizing effect—that it cancels out the effect of something else. Something that’s counteractive could also be described as counterbalancing, meaning it balances out another thing—restores things to their original status or position. Sometimes, describing something as counteractive means that it serves as a check on something else. A similar word is preventative. Synonyms for counteractive that imply a fix are corrective, remedial, and rectifying. The noun form of counteract is counteraction.

Counterproductive is used to describe something that acts against the intended goal. Counteractive is less specific—it can describe anything that acts in opposition to something else, including in ways that balance it, cancel it out, fix it, or prevent it. Counterproductive is always negative, but counteractive may be neutral or even positive. Counteractive is much less commonly used. It’s more common to use the verb form counteract.

Counteractive can be used in a variety of contexts. Here are some examples of counteractive in a sentence:

• We need to implement counteractive measures to offset the losses. 
• The medicine is counteractive—it should have a neutralizing effect. 
• A see-saw works because every motion is counteractive.