A revolution throws out the old government, often suddenly and with force. A counter-revolution is the push the other way: political or military action meant to get rid of the government that the revolution put in, and often to bring back something more like the old order — or at least to stop the revolution from going further. History books use it for wars, plots, foreign help, and new laws. It can name the whole movement, a stretch of fighting, or one campaign. You may also see counterrevolution, with no hyphen. Though actually, the tidy label is tidier than how people talk. The side that just won a revolution calls its enemies counter-revolutionaries; those enemies may call themselves patriots, restorers, or the real revolution. The word already takes a side. Writers also stretch it: a “counter-revolution” in fashion or music can mean a swing back, with no guns at all. That is looser, magazine English. The serious sense stays with power and government. Formal. Not a word for a small protest.