counterpart
noun
coun·ter·part
ˈkau̇n-tər-ˌpärt 
1
: one of two corresponding copies of a legal instrument : duplicate
2
a
: a thing that fits another perfectly
b
: something that completes : complement
the lead actress and her male counterpart
3
a
: one remarkably similar to another
The crow is sometimes mistaken for its larger counterpart, the raven.
b
: one having the same function or characteristics as another
college presidents and their counterparts in business
Examples of counterpart in a Sentence
The secretary of defense met with his counterparts in Asia to discuss the nuclear crisis.
Metal tools replaced their stone counterparts many, many years ago.
the lead actress and her male counterpart
Recent Examples on the Web
Their Democratic counterparts have often lagged in comparison.
—
Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 7 May 2026
Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi pressed his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi on Wednesday to pursue a diplomatic resolution to the conflict and refrain from resuming hostilities during a meeting in Beijing.
—Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 7 May 2026
The state counterpart to the National Institutes of Health would fund grants and programs for research in biomedicine, climate, wildfire, and infectious disease, among other areas.
—Jaweed Kaleem, Los Angeles Times, 6 May 2026
While Republican lawmakers appeared to steer clear of criticizing their Democratic counterpart over the remarks, some pundits jumped to his defense.
—Ella Lee, The Hill, 6 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for counterpart
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Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 7 May 2026
Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi pressed his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi on Wednesday to pursue a diplomatic resolution to the conflict and refrain from resuming hostilities during a meeting in Beijing.
—Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 7 May 2026
The state counterpart to the National Institutes of Health would fund grants and programs for research in biomedicine, climate, wildfire, and infectious disease, among other areas.
—Jaweed Kaleem, Los Angeles Times, 6 May 2026
While Republican lawmakers appeared to steer clear of criticizing their Democratic counterpart over the remarks, some pundits jumped to his defense.
—Ella Lee, The Hill, 6 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for counterpart
Cite this Entry
“Counterpart.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/counterpart. Accessed 8 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
counterpart
noun
coun·ter·part
ˈkau̇nt-ər-ˌpärt
1
: a part or thing that matches another
the left arm is the counterpart of the right
2
: something that serves to complete something else : complement
3
: a person closely resembling another
Legal Definition
counterpart
noun
coun·ter·part
ˈkau̇n-tər-ˌpärt
: one of two corresponding or duplicate copies of a legal instrument
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