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

Rescheduling, of course, will have a huge impact; a future article will discuss rescheduling vis-a-vis cannabis banking. — Peter Su, Forbes.com, 5 June 2026

Less useful as an ontological category than as a description of a relation, the alternative press is often considered (and its practitioners often consider themselves) vis-a-vis a more dominant or mainstream press. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 21 Apr. 2026

Noun

Users can slide both rear seats forward for the ride to free more luggage space in back, then slide them back to create a spacious vis-a-vis lounge in conjunction with the two swivel seats in the cab. — New Atlas, 22 Sep. 2026

For all its trials and tribulations, Chicagoland retains enviable advantages vis-a-vis other metro areas, but its growth over more than a decade seriously lags many of those peer regions. — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 20 Sep. 2026

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