versus

preposition

ver·​sus ˈvər-səs  -səz 

1

: against

2

: in contrast to or as the alternative of

free trade versus protection

Did you know?

Abbreviating Versus

In a number of areas the English language is possessed of an embarrassment of riches, with multiple synonyms or abbreviations for a word. One such case is versus, which is often written in a shortened form. You may choose between vs, vs., and v. Take care, when writing the word out in full, that you distinguish between versus (a preposition meaning “against”) and verses (“lines of metrical writing”).

Examples of versus in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

As a result, the company can originate a loan at about one third of the cost of peers and close loans in an average of 21 days versus 45 days for its competitors. —Kenneth Squire, CNBC, 24 May 2025

The timing of Easter — which fell in April this year versus March in 2024 — contributed to the bump. —Jackie Snow, Quartz, 24 May 2025

As of April, the U.S. made up around 42 percent of Nvidia business, versus China and Hong Kong's 15.5 percent, according to financial data compiled by CSI Market. —Peter Aitken, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 May 2025

The first match is Haiti versus Saudi Arabia, followed by Costa Rica against Suriname. —Carlos Rico, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Medieval Latin, towards, against, from Latin, adverb, so as to face, from past participle of vertere to turn

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for versus

• cursus
• ursus
• excursus
• transversus

Kids Definition

versus

preposition

ver·​sus ˈvər-səs  -səz 

1

: against sense 1a

the champion versus the challenger

2

: in contrast to or as the alternative of

the tastiness of store-bought versus homemade cookies