face-to-face

[feys-tuh-feys]

adjective

1. with the fronts or faces toward each other, especially when close together.

2. involving close contact or direct opposition.

   a face-to-face confrontation of adversaries.

3. noting, relating to, or promoting interaction that takes place in person, as opposed to online interaction or electronic communications: f2f, F2F, FTF, ftf

   face-to-face classrooms.

face to face

adverb

1. opposite one another

2. in confrontation

Word History and Origins

Origin of face-to-face¹

Middle English word dating back to 1300–50

Idioms and Phrases

In each other's presence, opposite one another; in direct communication. For example, The two chairmen sat face to face , or It's time his parents met the teacher face to face . [Mid-1300s]

Confronting each other, as in We were face to face with death during the avalanche . [Late 1800s]

Related Words

• eye to eye 

When To Use

What does face-to-face mean?

Face-to-face describes an interaction that takes place in person, as opposed to over the phone or online, as in Instead of emailing back and forth, let’s meet face-to-face in my office this afternoon. It is also commonly spelled without hyphens, as face to face.Sometimes the phrase is used as a noun referring to such a meeting, as in Let’s schedule a face-to-face for Friday morning. (In this usage, the term is almost always hyphenated.)Sometimes face-to-face indicates direct competition or confrontation, as in This is the first time these two players will have had a face-to-face match-up. In this sense, the term is very similar to head-to-head, which is probably more commonly used for such situations, especially in the context of sports. This sense of the word can also be used metaphorically to refer to a direct encounter with something, especially death or something else negative.In its most literal sense, face-to-face describes two things or people that are positioned so that they are facing each other, often close together, as in Please sit face-to-face with your partner for the practice interview or When you place these on the shelf, make sure they’re face-to-face instead of back-to-back.