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
Drawing on her research during her foreign travels, Hari gave a seven-minute presentation showing the discrepancies between the ingredients listed in American versions of certain food versus its European counterparts.
—
Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy, USA Today, 20 Apr. 2025
Colorado-Dallas used to be megastars versus mega-depth.
—Mark Lazerus, New York Times, 20 Apr. 2025
The difference between those who viewed the former Housing secretary favorably versus unfavorably was 6 points, the largest gap of the Republican figures surveyed.
—Tara Suter, The Hill, 17 Apr. 2025
Roan had more to say about the way her songs sound on the track versus live.
—Mathew Rodriguez, Them., 17 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for versus
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Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy, USA Today, 20 Apr. 2025
Colorado-Dallas used to be megastars versus mega-depth.
—Mark Lazerus, New York Times, 20 Apr. 2025
The difference between those who viewed the former Housing secretary favorably versus unfavorably was 6 points, the largest gap of the Republican figures surveyed.
—Tara Suter, The Hill, 17 Apr. 2025
Roan had more to say about the way her songs sound on the track versus live.
—Mathew Rodriguez, Them., 17 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for versus
Cite this Entry
“Versus.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/versus. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.
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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