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
In late March, leaked conversations between Hungary’s foreign minister, Péter Szijjártó, and his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, started to appear in the press.
—
Kapil Komireddi, New Yorker, 10 Apr. 2026
Ground flax can be used like its whole counterpart—folded into batters, pureed in smoothies, or added to food.
—Kirsten Nunez, Martha Stewart, 10 Apr. 2026
Other reports showed Orbán’s foreign minister frequently shared sensitive details on closed-door EU meetings with his Russian counterpart.
—Justin Spike, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2026
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday announced a 32-hour ceasefire over a two-day period for Orthodox Easter and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Kyiv would abide by the measure.
—Reuters, NBC news, 10 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for counterpart
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Kapil Komireddi, New Yorker, 10 Apr. 2026
Ground flax can be used like its whole counterpart—folded into batters, pureed in smoothies, or added to food.
—Kirsten Nunez, Martha Stewart, 10 Apr. 2026
Other reports showed Orbán’s foreign minister frequently shared sensitive details on closed-door EU meetings with his Russian counterpart.
—Justin Spike, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2026
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday announced a 32-hour ceasefire over a two-day period for Orthodox Easter and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Kyiv would abide by the measure.
—Reuters, NBC news, 10 Apr. 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 16 Apr. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
