Versus — Law Dictionary

Ballentine's Law Dictionary

James A. Ballentine · 1916

Against.

Black's Law Dictionary

Henry Campbell Black, M.A. · 1910

Lat. Against. In the title of a cause, the name of the plaintiff is put first, followed by the word "versus," then the defendant's name. Thus, "Fletcher versus Peck," or "Fletcher against Peck." The word is commonly abbreviated uvs." or "v."

A Dictionary of Law

William C. Anderson · 1889

Turned toward: against. Separates the name of a plaintiff from the name of the defendant. Abbreviated vs. and v.^ In New York, prior to 1848, when an action was brought by A against B, the declaration was entitled A, plaintiff, v. E, defendant. But the plea was entitled B, defendant, ads. (ad sectam) A. Generally, when a party was an actor in a proceeding, he placed his own name first. This explains why, in the earlier reports of that State, v. or ads. appears between the names of parties, and why, in the progress of a case from one court to another, the names themselves appeared reversed.* See under A, 8; Suit, 1.

Dictionary of Terms and Phrases Used in American or English Jurisprudence

Benjamin Vaughan Abbott · 1879

Against. This word is much used in entitling suits, to separate the names of the plaintiffs or complainants from those of the defendants. It is usually abbreviated vs. or v., and is said to be a contraction of adversus.