Definify.com

Webster 1913 Edition


Versus


Ver′sus

,
p
rep.
[L., toward, turned in the direction of, from
vertere
,
versum
, to turn. See
Verse
.]
Against;
as, John Doe
versus
Richard Roe
; – chiefly used in legal language, and abbreviated to
v.
or
vs.

Definition 2024


Versus

Versus

See also: versus, vérsus, verŝus, and vēršus

German

Noun

Versus

  1. Obsolete spelling of Vers

versus

versus

See also: Versus, vérsus, verŝus, and vēršus

English

Conjunction

versus

  1. Used to link two or more opposing or contrasting elements.

Synonyms

Preposition

versus

  1. against, in opposition to.
    It is the Packers versus the Steelers in the Super Bowl.
  2. compared with, as opposed to.
    • 2012 November 7, Matt Bai, “Winning a Second Term, Obama Will Confront Familiar Headwinds”, in New York Times:
      In polling by the Pew Research Center in November 2008, fully half the respondents thought the two parties would cooperate more in the coming year, versus only 36 percent who thought the climate would grow more adversarial.
    • 2005, Robert E. Weiss, Modeling Longitudinal Data, Springer, ISBN 978-0-387-40271-0, page 104:
      If, for example, we select random people entering a workout gym, versus if we pick random people entering a hospital, we will get very different samples.
  3. Bringing a legal action against, as used in the title of a court case in which the first party indicates the plaintiff (or appellant or the like), and the second indicates the defendant (or respondent or the like).
    Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kans.

Synonyms

  • (especially the non-legal senses): vs, vs. (abbreviation)
  • (especially the legal sense): v, v. (abbreviation)

Translations

Related terms


Italian

Preposition

versus

  1. versus

Latin

Alternative forms

  • vorsus

Pronunciation

  • (Classical) IPA(key): /ˈwer.sus/, [ˈwɛr.sʊs]

Etymology 1

From the perfect passive participle of vertō (turn).

Participle

versus m (feminine versa, neuter versum); first/second declension

  1. turned, changed, having been turned.
Descendants
Inflection

First/second declension.

Number Singular Plural
Case / Gender Masculine Feminine Neuter Masculine Feminine Neuter
nominative versus versa versum versī versae versa
genitive versī versae versī versōrum versārum versōrum
dative versō versō versīs
accusative versum versam versum versōs versās versa
ablative versō versā versō versīs
vocative verse versa versum versī versae versa
Related terms

Adverb

versus (not comparable)

  1. towards, turned to or in the direction of, facing
Descendants

Noun

versus m (genitive versūs); fourth declension

  1. a furrow (turned earth)
  2. a verse, a line
    Si versus horum duorum poetarum neglegetis, magna parte litterarum carebitis.
    If you neglect the verses of these two poets, you will miss a great part of literature.
  3. (dance) a turn, step
Inflection

Fourth declension.

Case Singular Plural
nominative versus versūs
genitive versūs versuum
dative versuī versibus
accusative versum versūs
ablative versū versibus
vocative versus versūs
Derived terms
Descendants

Etymology 2

Participle

versus m (feminine versa, neuter versum); first/second declension

  1. perfect participle of verrō (I sweep; I hide)
Inflection

First/second declension.

Number Singular Plural
Case / Gender Masculine Feminine Neuter Masculine Feminine Neuter
nominative versus versa versum versī versae versa
genitive versī versae versī versōrum versārum versōrum
dative versō versō versīs
accusative versum versam versum versōs versās versa
ablative versō versā versō versīs
vocative verse versa versum versī versae versa

References

  • versus in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  • versus in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
  • VERSUS in Charles du Fresne du Cange’s Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition, 1883–1887)
  • Félix Gaffiot (1934), “versus”, in Dictionnaire Illustré Latin-Français, Paris: Hachette.
  • Meissner, Carl; Auden, Henry William (1894) Latin Phrase-Book, London: Macmillan and Co.
    • to sing the praises of some one (not canere aliquem: alicuius laudes versibus persequi
    • to celebrate some one's exploits in song: alicuius res gestas versibus ornare, celebrare
    • (ambiguous) in all directions: quoquo versus; in omnes partes
    • (ambiguous) to advance in the direction of Rome: Romam versus proficisci
    • (ambiguous) to write poetry: versus facere, scribere
    • (ambiguous) to write poetry with facility: carmina , versus fundere (De Or. 3. 50)
    • (ambiguous) to recite a poem, line with appropriate action: carmen, versum agere

Portuguese

Preposition

versus

  1. Alternative spelling of vérsus

Spanish

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈbeɾ.sus/

Preposition

versus

  1. versus
    Esta noche emitiremos a Alberto del Río versus John Cena en vivo. - Tonight, we'll be broadcasting Alberto del Rio vs. John Cena live.

Usage notes

This word is sometimes frowned upon as an anglicism, with the suggestion that contra or the conjunction y should be used instead.