vis-à-vis

American  

[vee-zuh-vee, vee-za-vee] / ˌvi zəˈvi, vi zaˈvi /

preposition

1. compared with.

   The graph shows income vis-à-vis expenditures.

2. in relation to or toward.

   The report is an examination of Japan’s foreign policy vis-à-vis its Asian neighbors.

3. with regard to; concerning; about.

   I’ve read his comments vis-à-vis the role of the media in international conflicts.

4. facing; opposite.

   We are now vis-à-vis the most famous painting in the Louvre.

---

adverb

1. face to face.

   They sat vis-à-vis at the table.

adjective

1. face-to-face.

   a vis-à-vis encounter.

2. Numismatics. (of a coin) having two portraits facing each other.

noun

vis-à-vis plural

1. a person face to face with or situated opposite to another.

   He offered a cigarette to his vis-à-vis.

2. a date at a social affair.

   She introduced her vis-à-vis to the hostess.

3. a person of equal authority, rank, or the like.

   my vis-à-vis in the Louisville office.

4. a carriage in which the occupants sit face to face.

5. Furniture. tête-à-tête.

vis-à-vis British  

/ ˌviːzɑːˈviː /

preposition

1. in relation to; regarding

2. face to face with; opposite

---

adverb

1. face to face; opposite

noun

1. a person or thing that is situated opposite to another

2. a person who corresponds to another in office, capacity, etc; counterpart

3. an upholstered sofa; tête-à-tête

4. a type of horse-drawn carriage in which the passengers sit opposite one another

5. a coin having an obverse upon which two portraits appear facing each other

vis-à-vis Cultural  

1. Relative to; compared with: “She performed well vis-à-vis the rest of the competitors.”

---

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• vis-à-vis
  plural

Etymology

Origin of vis-à-vis

First recorded in 1745–55; from French: literally, “face to face”; see visage

Explanation

Vis-a-vis is a fancy way of saying "in regard to" or "compared to," as in: "He was substantially underpaid vis-a-vis other researchers." Technically that "a" in vis-a-vis is an "à" as the phrase translates literally from the French for "face to face." There's a slightly pedantic ring to the term vis-a-vis so use it with caution. It's more a term that might be used in a newspaper article or academic treatise, and something best avoided in speech altogether, unless you're deliberately aiming for comic effect.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

vis-à-vis

Layered on top of this is what bank executives see and feel directly: real stimulus spending and investment vis-à-vis artificial intelligence and other new technology solutions.

From MarketWatch ● Apr. 8, 2026

Anta and rival brands like Li Ning offer similar athletic footwear for a significantly reduced price—an advantage vis-à-vis more premium-priced foreign brands as China endures an economic slowdown.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 1, 2026

“Without central banks as structural dip buyers as in gold, we are still a bit apprehensive of a potentially deeper shakeout in silver vis-à-vis gold in the near-term,” they wrote.

From Barron's ● Feb. 1, 2026

“I want to make sure they’re ... evaluating these contractors vis-à-vis the next disaster,” he added.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 29, 2025

Nor was it likely to improve its relative status vis-à-vis the other regions of Earth, except for what vigor the South American provinces lent it.

From "I, Robot" by Isaac Asimov

Related Words

• eye to eye