counterpart

American  

[kaun-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

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Etymology

Origin of counterpart

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

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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

Quantum mechanics, however, reveals that particles can behave in ways that have no straightforward counterpart in our ordinary experience.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 13, 2026

As well as announcing player deals, England also confirmed new-look backroom teams underneath Test head coach Stephen Fleming and white-ball counterpart Brendon McCullum.

From BBC ● Oct. 12, 2026

Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin promised Thursday to "do everything" to help end the Middle East war when he met Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian for talks ahead of a regional summit, Russian media reported.

From Barron's ● Oct. 9, 2026

Six months ago, a sustained push above 5% for the benchmark 10-year Treasury yield and its 30-year counterpart was viewed as unlikely.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 8, 2026

His counterpart was William Turner, who owned a tavern and two general stores.

From "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell

That was several thousands of dollars below what their counterparts England and the United States get, and far less than German teachers at the same level who took home more than $114,000.

From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026

And while judging them against Australia's fearsome attack, the most successful quartet Test cricket has seen, is hardly fair, South Africa's bowlers lacked the relentless pressure of their counterparts.

From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2026

Lidegaard and his Nordic counterparts just announced a Nordic Growth Alliance to promote cooperation in sectors such as quantum technology, data centers and space, while reducing red tape.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 10, 2026

A new Australian study suggests that zoo lions behave more like their wild counterparts when they are given whole animal carcasses as part of a feast and fast feeding schedule.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 7, 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

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