versus
preposition
1
: against
2
: in contrast to or as the alternative of
free trade versus protection
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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 the Moon moves through Cancer, your attention shifts to growth, travel, or learning, but Neptune can blur what’s realistic versus ideal.
—
Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 21 Apr. 2026
Bruce’s circus consists of nine males and three females, and the researchers observed 162 male-versus-male interactions over four weeks.
—ArsTechnica, 20 Apr. 2026
The company believes its CPUs deliver more than two times the performance per rack versus x86 CPUs, which the company thinks can deliver up to $10 billion in capital expenditure savings per GW of AI data center capacity.
—Jeff Marks, CNBC, 20 Apr. 2026
But the best of these good-versus-evil narratives, like in these eight series, can connect one generation to the next, introducing kids to the world’s complexity and keeping grown-ups tethered to the wonder of their childhood selves.
—David Faris, TheWeek, 20 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for versus
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 21 Apr. 2026
Bruce’s circus consists of nine males and three females, and the researchers observed 162 male-versus-male interactions over four weeks.
—ArsTechnica, 20 Apr. 2026
The company believes its CPUs deliver more than two times the performance per rack versus x86 CPUs, which the company thinks can deliver up to $10 billion in capital expenditure savings per GW of AI data center capacity.
—Jeff Marks, CNBC, 20 Apr. 2026
But the best of these good-versus-evil narratives, like in these eight series, can connect one generation to the next, introducing kids to the world’s complexity and keeping grown-ups tethered to the wonder of their childhood selves.
—David Faris, TheWeek, 20 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for versus
Cite this Entry
“Versus.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/versus. Accessed 25 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
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
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