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
Lobular breast cancer is the second most common form of breast cancer, but remains far less recognized than its counterpart, ductal carcinoma.
—
Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Oct. 2025
In the teams’ 2020 meeting, at an empty stadium because of COVID-19, the Chiefs prevailed in the first meeting between Mahomes and Bills counterpart Josh Allen.
—Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 30 Oct. 2025
The President made the announcement just moments before meeting with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, whose country has been growing its stockpile of nuclear weapons.
—Caroline Mimbs Nyce, New Yorker, 30 Oct. 2025
At the time, NACA’s Langley Laboratory in Virginia had reached its capacity, and the West Coast’s rapidly expanding aviation industry demanded a counterpart.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 30 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for counterpart
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Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Oct. 2025
In the teams’ 2020 meeting, at an empty stadium because of COVID-19, the Chiefs prevailed in the first meeting between Mahomes and Bills counterpart Josh Allen.
—Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 30 Oct. 2025
The President made the announcement just moments before meeting with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, whose country has been growing its stockpile of nuclear weapons.
—Caroline Mimbs Nyce, New Yorker, 30 Oct. 2025
At the time, NACA’s Langley Laboratory in Virginia had reached its capacity, and the West Coast’s rapidly expanding aviation industry demanded a counterpart.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 30 Oct. 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 4 Nov. 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
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