vis-à-vis

1 of 3

preposition

ˈvēz-ə-ˈvē 

ˈvēs-,

also

-ä-ˈvē 

1

: in relation to

2

: as compared with

3

: face-to-face with

vis-à-vis

2 of 3

noun

plural vis-à-vis ˈvēz-ə-ˈvē(z) 

ˈvēs-,

-ä-

1

: one that is face-to-face with another

2

a

: escort, date

b

: counterpart

3

: tête-à-tête sense 1

vis-à-vis

3 of 3

adverb

: in company : together

Did you know?

Vis-à-vis comes from Latin by way of French, where it means literally "face-to-face." In English it was first used to refer to a little horse-drawn carriage in which two people sat opposite each other. From there it acquired various other meanings, such as "dancing partner." Today it no longer refers to actual physical faces and bodies, but its modern meaning comes from the fact that things that are face-to-face can easily be compared or contrasted. So, for example, a greyhound is very tall vis-à-vis a Scottie, and one currency may be stronger vis-à-vis another.

Examples of vis-à-vis in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Preposition

Depending upon the size of the truck bed, the dining set comprises a vis-a-vis layout with cushioned seats on either side of a Lagun swivel table or a single bench on one side of the table. —New Atlas, 14 Feb. 2025

Trump lambasted the Bush administration's foreign policy vis-a-vis the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. —Sonam Sheth, Newsweek, 12 Feb. 2025

However, China’s dividend payout ratio, which measures the dividends doled out to shareholders vis-a-vis the company’s net income, still lags behind some of its Asian counterparts. —Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 11 Feb. 2025

Israel’s decapitation of Hezbollah in Lebanon and its besting of Iran in recent exchanges of firepower have emboldened Netanyahu to pursue maximal objectives vis-a-vis the Palestinians. —Peter L. Hahn / Made By History, TIME, 6 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Preposition

French, literally, face-to-face

First Known Use

Preposition

1755, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Noun

circa 1757, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adverb

1760, in the meaning defined above