Wiktionary

vis-à-vis

See also: vis-a-vis and vis-á-vis

English edit

WOTD – 14 November 2008

Alternative forms edit

Etymology edit

Borrowed from French vis-à-vis (“face-to-face”).

Pronunciation edit

  • (UK) IPA(key): /viːz.ɑːˈviː/, /viːz.æˈviː/
  • (US) IPA(key): /viz.ɑˈvi/, /viz.əˈvi/
  • (Canada) IPA(key): /viz.əˈvi/
  • Audio (US)(file)
    ,
    Audio (US)(file)

Preposition edit

vis-à-vis

  1. In relation to; compared with.
    Canada's role vis-à-vis the United States' in Afghanistan
  2. Opposite; across from; set so as to be facing.
    He was seated vis-à-vis the president.

Translations edit

Noun edit

 
Historical vis-à-vis carriage (1)

vis-à-vis (plural vis-à-vis)

  1. (historical) A small horse-drawn carriage for two people sitting facing each other.
    • 1761, Laurence Sterne, The Life & Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman, volume 3, Penguin, published 2003, page 188:
      there is not a greater difference between a single-horse chair and madam Pompadour’s vis a vis, than betwixt a single amour, and an amour thus nobly doubled
  2. A sofa with seats for two people, so arranged that the occupants are face to face while sitting on opposite sides.
  3. One of two (or more) people facing or opposite each other.
    • 1933, Vera Brittain, Testament of Youth, Penguin, published 2005, page 456:
      But the wrath that I awaited did not descend. Instead, my young vis-à-vis merely looked melancholy.
  4. A date or escort in a social event.
    • 1888, Rudyard Kipling, “The Daughter of the Regiment”, in Plain Tales from the Hills, Folio Society, published 2005, page 136:
      That was what Miss McKenna said, and the Sergeant who was my vis-à-vis looked the same thing.
  5. A person holding a corresponding position in another organisation.
    Synonym: counterpart
    I talked with my vis-à-vis in the French embassy.

Translations edit

counterpart — see counterpart

Adjective edit

vis-à-vis (not comparable)

  1. Face-to-face.
  2. (numismatics, of a coin) Having two portraits facing each other.

Translations edit

face-to-face — see face-to-face

Adverb edit

vis-à-vis (not comparable)

  1. Face to face (with another).
    • 1883, William Wallace Cook, “Aquastor”, in Overland Monthly‎[1], page 14:
      […] turning the seat in front so we could sit vis-a-vis
  2. (archaic) In a position facing a specified or implied subject.

Translations edit

Further reading edit

Danish edit

Adverb edit

vis-à-vis

  1. Alternative spelling of vis-a-vis

French edit

Etymology edit

From vis +‎ à +‎ vis, vis being an obsolete word for “face”, replaced in Modern French by visage.

Pronunciation edit

Adverb edit

vis-à-vis

  1. (archaic) Facing, face-to-face
    Synonym: face à face

Noun edit

vis-à-vis m (plural vis-à-vis)

  1. a meeting, especially a private one
    Synonym: tête-à-tête
  2. a position where two things face each other
    Les maisons sont en vis-à-vis.
    The houses face each other.
  3. an equivalent
    Synonym: homologue
    • 1886, Auguste de Villiers de L’Isle-Adam, L'Ève future, XVII. Dissection
      Quoi de plus attristant, de plus dissolvant que l’abominable être qu’on nomme une « femme d’esprit », si ce n’est son vis-à-vis, le beau parleur ?
      What is worse, more dissolving than this abomination called the "spiritual woman", if not its equivalent, the "beau parleur"?
  4. (rare) What faces someone or something, such as a view or the person seated in front
  5. (historical) a type of S-shaped couch or sofa that allows people to be seated face-to-face

Derived terms edit

Descendants edit

  • → Danish: vis-a-vis
  • → English: vis-à-vis
  • → German: vis-à-vis
  • → Swedish: visavi

Further reading edit

German edit

Alternative forms edit

Etymology edit

Borrowed from French vis-à-vis (“face-to-face”).

Pronunciation edit

Preposition edit

vis-à-vis

  1. (literary, dated outside Switzerland) vis-à-vis
    Synonym: gegenüber
    • 2002, “Hi Freaks”, in Tocotronic, performed by Tocotronic:
      Hi freaks look at me / Autogramme vis-à-vis / Gegenüber einer Welt / Deren Umriss uns gefällt / Das Geld steht schon bereit / Hast du morgen Zeit
      (please add an English translation of this quotation)

Further reading edit

Polish edit

Etymology edit

Unadapted borrowing from French vis-à-vis.

Pronunciation edit

  • IPA(key): /viˈza.vi/
  • Audio(file)
  • Rhymes: -avi
  • Syllabification: vis‧à‧vis

Preposition edit

vis-à-vis (+ genitive)

  1. opposite (across from)
    Synonyms: naprzeciw, naprzeciwko

Further reading edit

  • vis-à-vis in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
  • vis-à-vis in Polish dictionaries at PWN
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