face-to-face

adverb or adjective

ˈfās-tə-ˈfās 

1

: within each other's sight or presence

met and talked face-to-face

a face-to-face consultation

2

: in or into direct contact or confrontation

came face-to-face with the problem

Synonyms

• personally
• tête-à-tête

Examples of face-to-face in a Sentence

I won't believe that accusation until I meet with him face-to-face and ask him myself

came face-to-face with her lifelong fear of flying even before the plane left the runway

Recent Examples on the Web

The couple eventually met face-to-face on Jan. 18, affirming her proclamation. —Ashley Vega, People.com, 1 Jan. 2025

County employees are asked to call 1-855-283-1917 to arrange up to six free face-to-face counseling sessions with a provider. —Rosie Manins The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (tns), arkansasonline.com, 1 Jan. 2025

Roki Sasaki, the 23-year-old pitching phenomenon from Japan, reportedly met with the Los Angeles Dodgers earlier this week, making the defending World Series champions the sixth team Sasaki has sat down with for a face-to-face interview. —David Faris, Newsweek, 29 Dec. 2024

Carefully select team members, through diversity and skills assessment, and build trust through mentoring and face-to-face feedback. —Martin Zwilling, Forbes, 28 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

face-to-face

adverb or adjective

ˌfās-tə-ˈfās

1

: within each other's close presence

met face-to-face

2

: in or into direct contact or confrontation

face-to-face with a crisis