counterpart
- 01 C1 Advanced
someone or something that has the same job or purpose as another person or thing in a different place.
a person or thing holding a position or performing a function that corresponds to that of another person or thing in another area.
Simple“The prime minister met with his French counterpart to discuss the new trade deal.”
In context“The CEO of the startup spent the afternoon consulting with her counterpart at the established firm to compare operational strategies.”
UsageOften used with the possessive (his, her, its) or the preposition 'of'.
Synonyms - 02 C2 Proficiency
one of two parts that fit together or complete each other.
one of two parts which complement or complete each other; a thing that forms a natural pair with another.
Simple“The left earring was lost, and she could not find its counterpart anywhere.”
In context“The architect designed the north wing as a modern counterpart to the original Victorian structure, balancing old and new materials.”
Synonyms - 03 C2 Proficiency
an exact copy of a legal document.
a duplicate or copy of a legal deed or document, often executed so that each party may have a copy.
Simple“Each person signed a counterpart of the contract so they both had a record.”
In context“The agreement was executed in several counterparts, each of which was deemed an original but all of which together constituted one instrument.”
“Fischer, who played Dawn's counterpart on the US version of the show, Pam Beesly, praised Davis for her "beautiful post".”
“The Ulchi Freedom Shield drills will include 18,000 South Korean soldiers and counterparts from the 28,500-strong US contingent in the country.”
From Middle English conterpart, countre parte (“duplicate of a legal document”), equivalent to counter- + part. Compare Old French contrepartie, itself from contre (“facing, opposite”) (from Latin contra (“against”)) + partie (“copy of a person or thing”) (originally past participle of partīre (“to divide”)).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.