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
Like his Canadian counterparts, he was focussed on securing modest updates on matters such as digital commerce while leaving the treaty largely intact.
—
Stephania Taladrid, New Yorker, 11 Dec. 2025
And on Thursday, the Cubs reportedly acquired a new left-handed bullpen counterpart who throws one of the softest fastballs in the league on average.
—Jackson Roberts, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2025
The experiment found that the southeastern polar bears of Greenland have diverged genetically from their northeastern counterparts, who live in a colder part of the region and were separated from each other roughly 200 years ago.
—Briana Alvarado, ABC News, 11 Dec. 2025
The federal authorities in July also asked for information on incidents of election fraud from Secretary of State Sarah Godlewski, who does not oversee elections like her counterparts in other states.
—Molly Beck, jsonline.com, 11 Dec. 2025
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.
Stephania Taladrid, New Yorker, 11 Dec. 2025
And on Thursday, the Cubs reportedly acquired a new left-handed bullpen counterpart who throws one of the softest fastballs in the league on average.
—Jackson Roberts, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2025
The experiment found that the southeastern polar bears of Greenland have diverged genetically from their northeastern counterparts, who live in a colder part of the region and were separated from each other roughly 200 years ago.
—Briana Alvarado, ABC News, 11 Dec. 2025
The federal authorities in July also asked for information on incidents of election fraud from Secretary of State Sarah Godlewski, who does not oversee elections like her counterparts in other states.
—Molly Beck, jsonline.com, 11 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for counterpart
Cite this Entry
“Counterpart.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/counterpart. Accessed 13 Dec. 2025.
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
Share