opposite number
noun
: a member of a system or class who holds relatively the same position as a particular member in a corresponding system or class : counterpart
Examples of opposite number in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Walz competed for views with his opposite number, Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio), who is a fixture on the Sunday show circuit.
—
Ivana Saric, Axios, 14 Oct. 2024
Cela’s opposite number, in some ways, was Ramón Sender, another of the novelists analyzed in Franco’s Crypt.
—Victor Pérez-Díaz, Foreign Affairs, 6 Dec. 2013
During the Iran negotiations, Secretary of State John F. Kerry spoke regularly, and directly, to his Iranian opposite number, Mohammad Javad Zarif, who had attended college and graduate school in the United States before the Iranian revolution.
—David E. Sanger, New York Times, 15 Apr. 2024
Mike Shanahan, Haines’ opposite number on offense and another coach joining Cignetti from JMU, will make $800,000, while offensive line coach Bob Bostad, the only member of Allen’s last staff retained in the transition, will make $700,000.
—Zach Osterman, The Indianapolis Star, 12 Jan. 2024
See all Example Sentences for opposite number 
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of
Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback
about these examples.
Ivana Saric, Axios, 14 Oct. 2024
Cela’s opposite number, in some ways, was Ramón Sender, another of the novelists analyzed in Franco’s Crypt.
—Victor Pérez-Díaz, Foreign Affairs, 6 Dec. 2013
During the Iran negotiations, Secretary of State John F. Kerry spoke regularly, and directly, to his Iranian opposite number, Mohammad Javad Zarif, who had attended college and graduate school in the United States before the Iranian revolution.
—David E. Sanger, New York Times, 15 Apr. 2024
Mike Shanahan, Haines’ opposite number on offense and another coach joining Cignetti from JMU, will make $800,000, while offensive line coach Bob Bostad, the only member of Allen’s last staff retained in the transition, will make $700,000.
—Zach Osterman, The Indianapolis Star, 12 Jan. 2024
See all Example Sentences for opposite number
Dictionary Entries Near opposite number
Cite this Entry
“Opposite number.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/opposite%20number. Accessed 8 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share