counterpart

C1 Topic:People & Society

US /ˈkaʊntɚˌpɑɹt/ UK /ˈkaʊntəˌpɑːt/ See IPA manual

Freq #26867

Meanings

1

noun
A person or thing that has the same role or function as another in a different place or system.

The minister discussed trade with her French counterpart.
2

noun
One of two parts that fit together or complete each other.

Those brass knobs and their hollow counterparts interlock perfectly.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · a person or thing that has... equivalent

More homolog obverse parallel pendant

Word family

Forms counterparts

Related forms complement counterbalance counterpoint countersign counterweight decoyhomotypepartner substitute

Etymology

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”)).

conterpart Middle English

View etymology graph ->

Topics

People & Society

External links

# counterpart

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C1
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ˈkaʊntɚˌpɑɹt/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈkaʊntəˌpɑːt/
**Frequency rank:** 26867

## Meanings
1. A person or thing that has the same role or function as another in a different place or system.
2. One of two parts that fit together or complete each other.

## Examples
- The minister discussed trade with her French counterpart.
- Those brass knobs and their hollow counterparts interlock perfectly.

## Synonyms
- equivalent
- homolog
- obverse
- parallel
- pendant

## Related Forms
- complement
- counterbalance
- counterpoint
- countersign
- counterweight
- decoy
- homotype
- partner
- substitute

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: conterpart
- Affix: counter- - against

## Etymology
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”)).

## AI Etymology
Counterpart comes 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”)). The historical chain includes conterpart (Middle English). The surrounding word family includes related forms such as complement, counterbalance, and counterpoint. In present use it covers a person or thing that has the same role or function as another in a different place or system and one of two parts that fit together or complete each other.

## Topics
- People & Society

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