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ver·sus

(vûrsəs, -səz)

prep.

1. Abbr. v. or vs. In conflict or competition with; against: the plaintiff versus the defendant; Michigan versus Ohio State.

2. As the alternative to or in contrast with: "freedom of information versus invasion of privacy" (Ian Hamilton).

[Middle English, from Medieval Latin, from Latin, turned, toward, from past participle of vertere, to turn; see wer-² in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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