versus

preposition

ver·​sus ˈvər-səs  -səz 

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

According to a March 24 Reuters poll, 35% of Americans approve of the strikes on Iran versus 61% who disapprove. —Phillip M. Bailey, USA Today, 2 Apr. 2026

The league is expected to announce new teams on a rolling basis, versus all at once. —Kurt Badenhausen, Sportico.com, 1 Apr. 2026

And although the younger cohort was giving its purchases a fair amount of thought, the survey, which recorded responses from 1,000 shoppers across the US, also found that both Gen Z and millennials are 50% more likely to spend more in the future versus older generations. —Jeena Sharma, Fortune, 1 Apr. 2026

Many revolved around the definitions of affordable versus low-income housing, and disagreements on Hallquist's goals to increase both kinds of housing in certain areas of Brookfield. —Bridget Fogarty, jsonline.com, 1 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Medieval Latin, towards, against, from Latin, adverb, so as to face, from past participle of vertere to turn

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for versus

• cursus
• ursus
• excursus
• transversus

Kids Definition

versus

preposition

ver·​sus ˈvər-səs  -səz 

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