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.

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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

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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

In a meeting with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in May, his South Korean counterpart said they would consider a “phased” contribution to ensure vessels could pass through the strait.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026

UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband has called on the US to re-open the Strait of Hormuz ahead of his first official one-to-one meeting with his US counterpart Marco Rubio.

From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2026

He met his US counterpart Donald Trump last Tuesday, partly to lobby Washington for licences to produce Patriots domestically.

From Barron's ● Aug. 5, 2026

Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama said Monday that the ministry is maintaining close communication with the Treasury Department and wouldn’t hesitate to intervene again together with its U.S. counterpart.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 3, 2026

My counterpart on the neighboring steam table was Thurston Gaines, an Ossining local who had been in my training class.

From "Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing" by Ted Conover

American forces typically hold regular military drills with their South Korean counterparts.

From Barron's ● Aug. 16, 2026

Liechtenstein is a tiny, doubly-landlocked country tucked away between Switzerland and Austria, whose ruler enjoys sweeping political powers, unlike many of his counterparts in Europe.

From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026

While the artificial-intelligence boom has aided the returns of data center-focused REITs, such REITs were outperforming their counterparts even before 2023.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026

The bloc has excluded Myanmar's leadership from high-level summits since the putsch, but its foreign minister attended an informal meeting with his regional counterparts last month in Bangkok.

From Barron's ● Aug. 6, 2026

The phone on Six North is a hubbub of activity, with Bobby and the blond burned-out-type, who I learn is named Johnny, fielding calls from, I assume, their respective female counterparts.

From "It’s Kind of a Funny Story" by Ned Vizzini