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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
Kelly Iko, The Athletic, 11 Apr. 2024
Harris' decision to campaign with Cheney has drawn sharp rebuke from progressives — particularly Arab-American voters — who are critical of Cheney's hawkish stance vis-a-vis the Middle East.
—Nina Turner, Newsweek, 29 Oct. 2024
As for Apple Intelligence, being inattentive to disability vis-a-vis accessibility to instead push a juicy, fatalistic narrative about Apple playing catchup isn’t happenstance either.
—Steven Aquino, Forbes, 28 Oct. 2024
For the week, crude oil prices are up nearly 10% and that is something with the potential to upset the progress made vis-a-vis inflation.
—Jj Kinahan, Forbes, 4 Oct. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Vis-à-vis.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vis-%C3%A0-vis. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
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