versus
Americanpreposition
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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.
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as compared to or as one of two choices; in contrast with: v., vs.
traveling by plane versus traveling by train.
preposition
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v, vs. (esp in a competition or lawsuit) against; in opposition to
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as opposed to; in contrast with
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
A thrilling playoff game versus Milwaukee turns on a collision between a possible home run and the roof.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026
"There is a bit of a technology arms race happening: the detectors versus the evaders," misinformation researcher Timothy Caulfield told AFP.
From Barron's ● Oct. 6, 2026
With Noah being a Manhunter, it turned out that he and John were dealing with similar questions around lineage and legacy and nature versus nurture.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 5, 2026
Among them are white male entitlement versus the crushing demands of Black exceptionalism; the complicated bond linking fathers to sons; and the agonizing bravery required of mothers raising boys the world is conditioned to ostracize.
From Salon ● Oct. 5, 2026
When we got bored with playing USA versus Vietnam, Geoffrey and I went to find Gilbert.
From "The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind" by William Kamkwamba
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
