I. |vēzə|vē, -zä|- noun
( plural vis-à-vis “)
Etymology: French, literally, face to face
1. : one that is face-to-face with, opposite to, or paired with another: as
a. : one that faces another (as in a folk dance or a parlor game)
each member can ask his vis-à-vis in the other team any question — K.M.Willey
b. : a partner at a social function : escort , date
invited … to be his vis-àvis at a house party — Jean Stafford
her vis-à-vis was a handsome, balding man — Wolcott Gibbs
c. : one holding an equal or parallel position : counterpart 3b, opposite number 1
a field representative conferring with his vis-à-vis in the home office
going across to talk with his American vis-à-vis — Frederick Simpich †1950
2. : a carriage in which persons sit face to face
3. : tête-à-tête
II. preposition
Etymology: French
1. : face-to-face with : opposite
dining vis-à-vis his rival
2. : in relation to : over against : toward
man's pride vis-à-vis the gods — Robert Gordis
3. : in comparison with : as compared with
traditional logic vis-à-vis dialectic — G.L.Kline
the House, jealous of its powers vis-à-vis the Senate — A.J.Liebling
III. adverb
Etymology: French
: in company : face-to-face , together
found themselves vis-à-vis for the first time