versus

American  

[vur-suhs, -suhz] / ˈvɜr səs, -səz /

preposition

1. against (used especially to indicate an action brought by one party against another in a court of law, or to denote competing teams or players in a sports contest).

   Smith versus Jones; Army versus Navy.

2. as compared to or as one of two choices; in contrast with: v., vs.

   traveling by plane versus traveling by train.

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versus British  

/ ˈvɜːsəs /

preposition

1.  v.   vs.  (esp in a competition or lawsuit) against; in opposition to

2. as opposed to; in contrast with

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Etymology

Origin of versus

First recorded in 1400–50; Late Middle English, from Latin: literally, “towards,” i.e., “turned so as to face (something), opposite, over against,” originally past participle of vertere “to turn”; see verse

Example Sentences

Martin Keown: Looking at the draw, there will be some absolute blockbuster quarter-finals if the favourites win their groups, like England versus Brazil and Argentina against Portugal - or Messi against Cristiano Ronaldo.

From BBC • Jun. 10, 2026

“I didn’t have a bad time on Epic,” Brock says, arguing with himself a little as he considers the pros and cons of indie versus major.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 9, 2026

That’s the potential difference between building wealth in your 20s versus catching up in your 40s when the most powerful compounding years are already gone.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 9, 2026

“What’s hard to tell is how well they’re making progress versus their competitors and peers.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 8, 2026

Mrs. Olinski's sixth graders were David versus the eighth grade Goliath, and the kids with the slingshots knew how to use them.

From "The View From Saturday" by E.L. Konigsburg