vis-à-vis

UK/viːz.ɑːˈviː/UK/viːz.æˈviː/US/viz.ɑˈvi/US/viz.əˈvi/

preposition

In relation to; compared with.

“He was seated vis-à-vis the president.”

Meanings

preposition

alternative vis-a-vis

  1. In relation to; compared with.

    Canada's role vis-à-vis the United States' in Afghanistan

    2 more examples

    Bet She'an, Bet Guvrin and Kefar Zemah were originally considered part of Eretz Yisrael vis-à-vis tithing, but Rabbi Judah the Prince excluded them from Eretz Yisrael when the Jewish population shrank.

    2000, David Golinkin, “Returning Territories for the Sake of Peace”, in Responsa in a Moment, volume 3, page 32

    We have identified an miR-1246 target site in the noncoding region of F8 mRNA and were able to confirm the suppressory role of hsa-miR-1246 on F8 expression in a stable lymphoblastoid cell line expressing FVIII. These findings suggest several testable hypotheses vis-à-vis the role of nc-RNAs in the regulation of F8 expression.

    2015 July 16, “Small ncRNA Expression-Profiling of Blood from Hemophilia A Patients Identifies miR-1246 as a Potential Regulator of Factor 8 Gene”, in PLOS ONE, →DOI
  2. Opposite; across from; set so as to be facing.

    He was seated vis-à-vis the president.

nounvis-à-vis (plural vis-à-vis)

alternative vis-a-vis

  1. historicalA small horse-drawn carriage for two people sitting facing each other.

    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

    1761, Laurence Sterne, The Life & Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman, volume 3, Penguin, published 2003, page 188
  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.

    But the wrath that I awaited did not descend. Instead, my young vis-à-vis merely looked melancholy.

    1933, Vera Brittain, Testament of Youth, Penguin, published 2005, page 456
  4. A date or escort in a social event.

    That was what Miss McKenna said, and the Sergeant who was my vis-à-vis looked the same thing.

    1888, Rudyard Kipling, “The Daughter of the Regiment”, in Plain Tales from the Hills, Folio Society, published 2005, page 136
  5. A person holding a corresponding position in another organisation.

    I talked with my vis-à-vis in the French embassy.

    Synonyms: counterpart

adjectivevis-à-vis (not comparable)

alternative vis-a-vis

  1. not comparableFace-to-face.
  2. not comparablehobbiesHaving two portraits facing each other.
adverbvis-à-vis (not comparable)

alternative vis-a-vis

  1. not comparableFace to face (with another).

    […]turning the seat in front so we could sit vis-a-vis

    1883, William Wallace Cook, “Aquastor”, in Overland Monthly, page 14
    1 more example

    I never had the opportunity to meet you vis-a-vis, but your correspondence exuded your dedication, your defying spirit, your warmth, and your literary goals.

    1989 February 12, Ann Allen Shockley, “A Posthumous Letter To Joseph Beam”, in Gay Community News, volume 16, number 30, page 6
  2. archaicnot comparableIn a position facing a specified or implied subject.

Synonyms & antonyms

nounA person holding a corresponding position in another organisation.

Origin

  1. Frenchvis-à-vis
  2. Englishvis-à-vis

Unadapted borrowing from French vis-à-vis.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic فِي مُوَاجَهَة, فِي مُوَاجَهَة
  • فِي مُوَاجَهَة (fī muwājaha)in relation to
  • فِي مُوَاجَهَة (fī muwājaha)opposite
Bulgarian спрямо, в сравнение с
  • спрямо (sprjamo)in relation to
  • в сравнение с (v sravnenie s)in relation to
  • по отношение на (po otnošenie na)in relation to
  • насреща (nasrešta)opposite
  • отсреща (otsrešta)opposite
  • лице в лицеface to face
Catalan en relació a
  • en relació aface to face
Czech vůči, naproti
  • vůčiin relation to
  • naprotiopposite
Danish sammenlignet med, overfor
  • sammenlignet medin relation to
  • overforopposite
  • modsatopposite
Dutch tegenover
  • tegenoveropposite
Finnish verrattuna, suhteessa
  • verrattunain relation to
  • suhteessain relation to
  • vastapäätäopposite
  • seuralainendate
  • pariperson facing another
  • tanssipariperson facing another
  • pöytäpariperson facing another
  • kasvokkainface to face
  • vastatustenface to face
  • vastakkainface to face
French vis-à-vis, vis-à-vis
  • vis-à-visin relation to
  • vis-à-visopposite
  • vis-à-viscarriage for two
  • vis-à-visperson facing another
German gegenüber, verglichen mit
  • gegenüberin relation to
  • verglichen mitin relation to
  • im Vergleich zuin relation to
  • im Verhältnis zuin relation to
  • gegenüberopposite
  • vis-à-visopposite
  • auf der gegenüberliegenden Seiteopposite
  • im Vergleich zuface to face
  • gegenüberface to face
Hungarian viszonylatban, vonatkozásában
  • viszonylatbanin relation to
  • vonatkozásábanin relation to
  • vonatkozóanin relation to
  • vonatkozólagin relation to
  • illetőenin relation to
  • kapcsolatbanin relation to
  • képestin relation to
  • szembenopposite
  • szemköztopposite
  • átellenbenopposite
Italian in base a, in relazione a
  • in base ain relation to
  • in relazione aface to face
Korean ~에 관하여
  • ~에 관하여 (-e gwanhayeo)face to face
Malay vis-a-vis, vis-a-vis
  • vis-a-visin relation to
  • vis-a-visopposite
Norwegian Bokmål vis-à-vis, sammenlignet med
  • vis-à-visin relation to
  • sammenlignet medin relation to
  • vis-à-visopposite
  • overforopposite
  • rett imotopposite
Polish naprzeciw, naprzeciwko
  • naprzeciwopposite
  • naprzeciwkoopposite
  • vis-à-visopposite
Portuguese frente a, defronte
  • frente ain relation to
  • defrontein relation to
  • face a faceopposite
  • cara a caraopposite
  • acompanhantedate
  • face a faceface to face
  • cara a caraface to face
Russian по отноше́нию к, в отноше́нии
  • по отноше́нию к (po otnošéniju k)in relation to
  • в отноше́нии (v otnošénii)in relation to
  • визави́ (vizaví)in relation to
  • напро́тив (naprótiv)opposite
  • насу́против (nasúprotiv)opposite
  • визави́ (vizaví)opposite
  • двуко́лка (dvukólka)carriage for two
  • визави́ (vizaví)carriage for two
  • ухажёр (uxažór)date
  • кавале́р (kavalér)date
  • партнёр (partnjór)person facing another
  • партнёрша (partnjórša)person facing another
  • визави́ (vizaví)person facing another
  • друг про́тив дру́га (drug prótiv drúga)face to face
Spanish con respecto a, en relación a
  • con respecto ain relation to
  • en relación ain relation to
Swedish visavi
  • visaviin relation to
Turkish bire bir, doğrudan doğruya
  • bire bir, doğrudan doğruyaface to face
Cite this entry
APA

vis-à-vis. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/vis-%C3%A0-vis

MLA

“vis-à-vis.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/vis-%C3%A0-vis. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “vis-à-vis,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/vis-%C3%A0-vis.

Source: vis-à-vis on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.