counterpart

Everyday

A counterpart is a person or thing that has the same job or place as another, but in a different group, country or situation. tree →

In the lessons

Used in news and history: the Prime Minister meets his or her counterparts (other leaders); a head teacher meets counterparts from other schools. In science, it compares matching things: the human arm and its counterpart, the bird's wing. Phrases: «his French counterpart», «a digital counterpart».

Examples

• The British Prime Minister met her Canadian counterpart. tree →
• Our class captain chatted with her counterpart from the visiting school. tree →
• The bird's wing is the counterpart of the human arm. tree →
• The e-book is the digital counterpart of the paper book. tree →
• The US president spoke with his counterpart in Japan. tree →
• Our school's head teacher wrote to her counterpart in Australia. tree →
• As Ilya is the counterpart of Thor, so does Nicholas in some respects resemble Odin. tree →

Note

Countable. Counterpart means «the matching one elsewhere», not «the opposite one»: an opponent is someone against you, a counterpart is someone like you on another side.

In Jewish tradition

Used in news and history: the Prime Minister meets his or her counterparts (other leaders); a head teacher meets counterparts from other schools. In science, it compares matching things: the human arm and its counterpart, the bird's wing. Phrases: «his French counterpart», «a digital counterpart».

Note

Countable. Counterpart means «the matching one elsewhere», not «the opposite one»: an opponent is someone against you, a counterpart is someone like you on another side.