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

Synonyms of counterpart

• equivalent

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

The Ultra will cost $2,599, while the Surface RTX Spark Dev Box, which is a desktop counterpart to the Ultra, will cost $5,999. — Sebastian Herrera, Fortune, 7 Oct. 2026

Oral storytelling, shifting perspectives and stories that move between past, present and future can all find an expressive counterpart in animation. — Katherine Brodsky, Variety, 7 Oct. 2026

Chinese counterparts, including Tencent’s Xiaowei — which is built into super-app WeChat — can, for example, place orders from businesses that are already on the app. — J.d. Capelouto, semafor.com, 7 Oct. 2026

Like his counterparts at Namkeen and Nishaan, Hassan was intentional in choosing the fast-casual format. — Maryam Jillani, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for counterpart

• apart
• depart
• flowchart
• forepart
• impart
• pushcart
• rampart
• redstart
• restart
• subpart
• sweetheart
• upstart

Kids 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