adjective
B1
Intermediate
face to face
fayss tuh FAYSS
Face to face (adjective) means taking place in person, with the people involved physically present rather than connecting by phone, video or message. Example: “We'd rather have a face-to-face meeting than another video call.”
adjective
1
Taking place in person, with the people involved physically present rather than connecting by phone, video or message.
"We'd rather have a face-to-face meeting than another video call."
"The course mixes online modules with face-to-face teaching."
adverb
1
In person, or directly facing each other.
"We finally met face to face after two years of emails."
"They sat down face to face and settled it."
2
Confronted directly with something difficult or unavoidable; used with 'come' or 'be brought'.
"On the ward you come face to face with what the illness really does."
How to use face to face
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishIn the same room, with the other person actually there.
When to use it
Neutral; became far more frequent in everyday use after widespread remote working.
Memory tip
'Head-to-head' means in direct competition, not merely in person.
Easily confused with
in-person
one-on-one
head-to-head
Common pairings
face-to-face meeting
face-to-face contact
come face to face with
face-to-face teaching
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We finally met _____ after two years of emails.
Synonyms
View more →Antonyms
Related words
Rhymes for face to face
See all rhymes for face to face →Frequently asked questions
When do you hyphenate face-to-face?
Hyphenate it when it modifies a noun — a face-to-face interview, face-to-face contact. Leave the hyphens out when it works as an adverb after the verb — we met face to face.
What is the difference between face-to-face and in-person?
They mean the same thing in most contexts, and both contrast with remote. 'In-person' is the more common wording in American English and in event listings; 'face-to-face' carries a slight extra sense of direct, two-way contact between individuals.
What is the meaning of face to face?
"face to face" (adjective) means taking place in person, with the people involved physically present rather than connecting by phone, video or message.
What is another word for face to face?
Other words for "face to face" include in-person, in the flesh, live.
