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

The interior includes two seats up front and four seats laid out in vis-a-vis arrangement in the rear. —New Atlas, 11 Dec. 2024

So how could Jay-Z, the business, and Shawn Carter, the man, be impacted vis-a-vis Super Bowl LIX, scheduled for Feb. 9 in New Orleans with Kendrick Lamar helming halftime? —Kevin Dolak, The Hollywood Reporter, 11 Dec. 2024

Khan initially faced a challenging position vis-a-vis Trump, who assumed office in 2017 after overcoming Democratic candidate in the 2016 election. —Tom O'Connor, Newsweek, 27 Nov. 2024

That could influence some choices as well, especially vis-a-vis the center position. —Kelly Iko, The Athletic, 11 Apr. 2024

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