You use vis-à-vis when you are considering a relationship or comparison between two things or quantities. What's the meaning of the phrase 'Vis-à-vis'? In a position facing another. Literally ‘face to face’. Often now used in the sense of ‘in relation to’. What's the origin of the phrase 'Vis-à-vis'? The term is French and began to be used in English in the mid 18th century. The literal vis-à-vis meaning is "face to face." But this phrase with French origins can have other figurative meanings, like in relation to. VIS-À-VIS meaning: 1. in relation to: 2. in comparison with: 3. in relation to: . Learn more.
