count against: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
B2Neutral to Formal
Quick answer
What does “count against” mean?
To be considered a disadvantage or negative factor in someone's favour or assessment.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
To be considered a disadvantage or negative factor in someone's favour or assessment.
To be held as a mark against someone, often in a formal evaluation, competition, or judgment, where a past action or characteristic negatively affects the present outcome.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in core meaning or usage. Slightly more common in British legal and employment contexts.
Connotations
Neutral-consequential in both varieties. Suggests a formal or semi-formal system of evaluation.
Frequency
Moderate frequency in both, with comparable usage in professional and evaluative discourse.
Grammar
How to Use “count against” in a Sentence
[Something] counts against [someone][It] counts against [someone] that [clause]Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “count against” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- Your lack of a driving licence may count against your application.
- In court, a previous conviction will always count against the defendant.
American English
- Not having a college degree could count against you in this market.
- The prosecutor argued that his silence should count against him.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Used in performance reviews, hiring, and promotions (e.g., 'Lack of certification could count against you for the senior role').
Academic
Used in assessing applications, grading, or peer review (e.g., 'Poor referencing will count against the thesis').
Everyday
Used in personal judgments or competitions (e.g., 'His lateness will count against him with the team').
Technical
Rare in highly technical fields; more common in procedural or evaluative technical writing (e.g., safety audits).
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “count against”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “count against”
- Using 'count for' instead of 'count against' (opposite meaning). Incorrect: *'His experience counted against him for the job.' (unless experience was a negative).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is neutral but common in formal evaluative contexts like employment, law, and academics. It can be used in everyday speech.
Primarily used for people or entities being evaluated (e.g., a company, a team). It is less common for inanimate objects.
'Hold against' often implies a personal grievance or resentment. 'Count against' is more neutral and systemic, used in formal assessments or rules-based judgments.
Yes, very common. E.g., 'It was counted against her that she had no prior experience.'
To be considered a disadvantage or negative factor in someone's favour or assessment.
Count against: in British English it is pronounced /kaʊnt əˈɡenst/, and in American English it is pronounced /kaʊnt əˈɡenst/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Hold it against someone”
- “A black mark against someone”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a judge holding a scorecard. Every mistake adds a mark on the 'against' side, counting down your score.
Conceptual Metaphor
JUSTICE/EVALUATION IS ACCOUNTING (debiting a negative entry to someone's account).
Practice
Quiz
What does 'count against' mean in this sentence: 'His history of missing deadlines counted against him during the promotion review.'?