counterpart

/ˌkaʊntərˈpɑrt/

/ˈkaʊntəpɑt/

Other forms: counterparts

If you leap tall buildings in a single bound for the Des Moines branch of your corporation, then your Metropolis counterpart might be Superman. That means you and Superman do similar jobs, but in different locations.

The noun counterpart comes from the French word countre part, meaning “duplicate of a legal document.” In legal circles counterpart still means "a duplicate document," but today it is more likely to describe people. Counterparts aren't duplicates, of course, but they have similar skills and responsibilities. If you play soccer, your counterpart is the player on the other team who plays the same position.

Definitions of counterpart

1. noun

   a person or thing having the same function or characteristics as another
   synonyms: opposite number, vis-a-vis

   types:

   match

   something that resembles or harmonizes with

   mismatch

   a bad or unsuitable match

   complement

   either of two parts that mutually complete each other

   type of:

   equivalent

   a person or thing equal to another in value, measure, force, effect, significance, etc.
2. noun

   a duplicate copy
   synonyms: similitude, twin

   type of:

   duplicate, duplication

   a copy that corresponds to an original exactly