# versus

> English word · Preposition · IPA /ˈvɜːsəs/ · frequency rank #4,201

## Definitions
1. Against; in opposition to.
2. Compared with, as opposed to.
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).
4. Interacting with, especially to record reactions
5. Mashed up with.

## Etymology
From Middle English versus, borrowed from Latin versus (“facing”), past participle of vertere (“to turn, change, overthrow, destroy”).

## Easily confused with
- **virus** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/versus-vs-virus)
- **vers** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/vers-vs-versus)
- **verse** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/verse-vs-versus)
- **Venus** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/venus-vs-versus)
- **verso** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/verso-vs-versus)
- **verses** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/verses-vs-versus)
- **versed** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/versed-vs-versus)
- **venous** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/venous-vs-versus)
- **verdun** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/verdun-vs-versus)

## Common misspellings (9)
`evrsus`, `verrsus`, `verssu`, `verssus`, `versuss`, `veruss`, `vesrus`, `vresus`, `vversus`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/versus