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

Paramount remains in a holding pattern vis-a-vis Skydance. —Todd Spangler, Variety, 25 Apr. 2025

What to Know To date, Democrats' strategy vis-a-vis the Trump administration's economic platform has largely paid off. —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

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