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
Politics is treated as team-versus-team entertainment to the detriment of us all.
—
Kimberly Ross, The Washington Examiner, 12 Sep. 2025
Despite their mass use, Manuylov hopes to convince various associations and research boards to conduct comparative field tests of the classic methods versus his own.
—Maria Williams, USA Today, 12 Sep. 2025
Alvarez is boxing’s biggest pay-per-view star, but his fight versus Crawford will eschew the PPV distribution format that can carry an $80 price tag for big bouts.
—Kurt Badenhausen, Sportico.com, 12 Sep. 2025
September’s eclipse season is highlighting your balance (or lack thereof) between rest and your life behind the scenes, versus your acts of service and daily routines.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 12 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for versus
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Kimberly Ross, The Washington Examiner, 12 Sep. 2025
Despite their mass use, Manuylov hopes to convince various associations and research boards to conduct comparative field tests of the classic methods versus his own.
—Maria Williams, USA Today, 12 Sep. 2025
Alvarez is boxing’s biggest pay-per-view star, but his fight versus Crawford will eschew the PPV distribution format that can carry an $80 price tag for big bouts.
—Kurt Badenhausen, Sportico.com, 12 Sep. 2025
September’s eclipse season is highlighting your balance (or lack thereof) between rest and your life behind the scenes, versus your acts of service and daily routines.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 12 Sep. 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 14 Sep. 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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