counterpart

American  

[koun-ter-pahrt] / ˈkaʊn tərˌpɑrt /

noun

• counterparts
  plural

1. 

   a person or thing closely resembling another, especially in function.

   Our president is the counterpart of your prime minister.

2. a copy; duplicate.

3. Law. a duplicate or copy of an indenture.

4. one of two parts that fit, complete, or complement one another.

---

counterpart British  

/ ˈkaʊntəˌpɑːt /

noun

1. a person or thing identical to or closely resembling another

2. one of two parts that complement or correspond to each other

3. a person acting opposite another in a play

4. a duplicate, esp of a legal document; copy

---

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• counterparts
  plural

Etymology

Origin of counterpart

late Middle English word dating back to 1425–75; see origin at counter-, part

Explanation

If you leap tall buildings in a single bound for the Des Moines branch of your corporation, then your Metropolis counterpart might be Superman. That means you and Superman do similar jobs, but in different locations. The noun counterpart comes from the French word countre part, meaning “duplicate of a legal document.” In legal circles counterpart still means "a duplicate document," but today it is more likely to describe people. Counterparts aren't duplicates, of course, but they have similar skills and responsibilities. If you play soccer, your counterpart is the player on the other team who plays the same position.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

counterpart counterparts

When a customer told her she wanted a pair of Khaite’s sold-out, half-calf leopard pants, she reached out to her counterpart and the Khaite CEO made it happen.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026

“This is the … physical counterpart of the capital spending recorded in the American accounts,” Cates adds.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 18, 2026

But looking ahead to Sunday's Manchester derby, expect to see City boss Enzo Maresca and his United counterpart Michael Carrick field teams teams that play in a totally different way to each other.

From BBC ● Sep. 13, 2026

His skills directly resembled that of his counterpart on the night, senior Jaden Jefferson.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 12, 2026

He was tall, muscular, and fit—nothing like his Mad magazine counterpart.

From "Hole in My Life" by Jack Gantos

Kang views investment in infrastructure as part of a wider remit to ensure female athletes are no longer treated differently from their male counterparts.

From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026

Recipes, production and technology between store brands and their counterparts often differ, retail analysts say.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 16, 2026

Some 79% of female respondents reported avoiding the campaign trail on their own at least once, compared to just under half of male counterparts.

From BBC ● Sep. 14, 2026

Their limited series / TV movie counterparts Claire Danes, Carey Mulligan and Sarah Pidgeon will also dress to impress.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 14, 2026

Particularly surprising is the large number of species of African and American mammals that were never domesticated, despite their having Eurasian close relatives or counterparts that were domesticated.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond