different between subvert vs versus

English

Etymology 1

From Middle English subverten, from Old French subvertir, from Latin subvert? (“to overthrow”, literally “to underturn, turn from beneath”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /s?b?v??t/
• (US) enPR: s?bvûrt?, IPA^(key): /s?b?v?t/
• Rhymes: -??(?)t

Verb

subvert (third-person singular simple present subverts, present participle subverting, simple past and past participle subverted)

1. (transitive) To overturn from the foundation; to overthrow; to ruin utterly.
   • , Book IV, Chapter XVIII

     This would be to subvert the principles and foundations of all knowledge.

2. (transitive) To pervert, as the mind, and turn it from the truth; to corrupt; to confound.

   A dictator stays in power only as long as he manages to subvert the will of his people.

3. (transitive) To upturn convention from the foundation by undermining it (literally, to turn from beneath).

Derived terms

• subversion
• subversive

Translations

Etymology 2

Back-formation from subvertising, by analogy with advert.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?s?bv??t/
• (US) enPR: s?b?vûrt, IPA^(key): /?s?bv?t/
• Rhymes: -??(r)t

Noun

subvert (plural subverts)

1. An advertisement created by subvertising.

Synonyms

• subvertisement

Translations

English

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?v??s?s/, /?v??s?z/
• (US) IPA^(key): /?v?s?s/, /?v?s?z/, /?v?s/
• Rhymes: -??(r)s?s
• Homophone: verses

Preposition

versus

1. Against; in opposition to.

   Synonyms: vs, vs., (abbreviations) v

2. Compared with, as opposed to.
   • 2005, Robert E. Weiss, Modeling Longitudinal Data, Springer, ?ISBN, 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. (law) 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).

   Synonyms: v, (abbreviation) v.

Translations

Related terms

Further reading

• versus on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Finnish

Etymology

Latin versus

Preposition

versus

1. versus

Italian

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin versus. Doublet of verso, which is inherited.

Preposition

versus

1. versus

Latin

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /?u?er.sus/, [?u??rs??s?]
• (Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /?ver.sus/, [?v?rsus]

Etymology 1

From earlier vorsus, from Proto-Italic *worssos, perfect passive participle of vert? (“to turn”).

Alternative forms

• vorsus

Participle

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

1. turned, changed, having been turned

Declension

First/second-declension adjective.

Derived terms

• annivers?rius
• contr?versus
• pr?rsus/ pr?sus
• ?niversus

Etymology 2

Adverbial use of versus (“turned”).

Alternative forms

• versum
• vorsum
• vorsus

Adverb

versus (not comparable)

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

Derived terms

Descendants

Etymology 3

Action noun from vert? + -tus.

Alternative forms

• vorsus

Noun

versus m (genitive vers?s); fourth declension

1. a furrow (turned earth)
2. (transf.) a line, row
   2. (partic.) a line of writing, a verse

3. a land measure (= ??????? (pléthron))
4. (dance) a turn, step

Declension

Fourth-declension noun.

Derived terms

• versiculus
• versific?

Descendants

Etymology 4

Perfect passive participle of verr? (“to sweep”).

Participle

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

1. swept

Declension

First/second-declension adjective.

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)
• versus in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré Latin-Français, Hachette
• Carl Meissner; Henry William Auden (1894) Latin Phrase-Book?^[2], London: Macmillan and Co.

Anagrams

• servus

Polish

Etymology

From Latin versus.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?v?r.sus/

Preposition

versus

1. versus (in opposition to)

   Synonym: kontra

Further reading

• versus in Wielki s?ownik j?zyka polskiego, Instytut J?zyka Polskiego PAN
• versus in Polish dictionaries at PWN

Portuguese

Preposition

versus

1. Alternative spelling of vérsus

Spanish

Etymology

Borrowed from English versus.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?be?sus/, [?be?.sus]

Preposition

versus

1. versus

Usage notes

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

Further reading

• “versus” in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014.

References