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
Nicholas Creel, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Apr. 2025
In a trade note in March, national statistics bureau Istat examined Italy’s exposure to the U.S. vis-a-vis exports amid the global escalation on trade.
—Sofia Celeste, Footwear News, 14 Apr. 2025
More of that; unfortunately, the presumption that the government is acting in good faith vis-a-vis the courts is a thing of the past.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 13 Apr. 2025
California fares very poorly vis-a-vis other states in federal academic testing — seventh from the bottom — and there’s a yawning achievement gap separating low income students from their more privileged classmates.
—Dan Walters, Oc Register, 27 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for vis-à-vis
Cite this Entry
“Vis-à-vis.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vis-%C3%A0-vis. Accessed 2 May. 2025.
Copy Citation
Share