vice versa

English

Alternative forms

• vice versâ (with marked ablative)

Etymology

From Latin ablative absolute vice versā, from feminine third declension noun vicis (“arrangement, order, position, etc.”) + feminine ablative singular of perfect passive participle versus, from vertō.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA: /ˈvaɪsɪ ˈvɜːsə/, /ˈvaɪsə ˈvɜːsə/, /vaɪs ˈvɜːsə/, SAMPA: /"vaIsI "v3:s@/, /"vaIs@ "v3:s@/, /vaIs "v3:s@/
• (US) enPR: vīʹsē vûrʹsə, vīʹsə vûrʹsə, vīs vûrʹsə, IPA: /ˈvaɪsɪ ˈvɝsə/, /ˈvaɪsə ˈvɝsə/, /vaɪs ˈvɝsə/, SAMPA: /"vaIsI "v3`s@/, /"vaIs@ "v3`s@/, /vaIs "v3`s@/

• Some speakers regard the pronunciations where "vice" has one syllable as less correct than the others.

Adverb

vice versa (not comparable)

1. The same but with the two things or people mentioned reversed.

   As long as my friend Mike places first and my friend Joe places second, or vice versa, I will be happy!

Usage notes

• Occasionally in English writing, “vice versa” may be preceded by et, similar to “et cetera”
  • 1842 CE, A. Taylor, On the Curative Influence of the Climate of Pau, and the Mineral Waters of the Pyrénées, on Disease, &c., in The Lancet; volume II, page #885:

    […]we are convinced, from considerable experience and observation, that the class of diseases described by Sir James as unsuited to the climate of Pau, et vice versâ […]

  • 1881 CE, E. Abbe, Hon, On the Conditions of Orthoscopic and Pseudoscopic Effects in the Binocular Microscope, in Journal of the Royal Microscopical Society; volume I, page #208:

    Therefore, any projection which affords right‐eye perspective in regard to the solid image of the Microscope, will always afford right‐eye perspective in regard to the object likewise, et vice versâ.

  • 1894 CE, James Alwis, Terms of Address and modes of Salutation in use amongst the Singhalese, in Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland; volume III, page #222:

    […]terms of regard or attachment used frequently amongst the lower classes  : the first by husbands towards their wives et vice versa, and by ordained priests towards their Samanera pupils[…]

Synonyms

• vicey versey, conversely, the other way round

Translations

the other way round

Catalan: viceversa (ca) Chinese: Mandarin: 反之亦然 (cmn) (fǎnzhīyìrán) Dutch: vice versa (nl), omgekeerd (nl) Estonian: vastupidi (et), ümberpöördult (et) Finnish: päinvastoin (fi), toisinpäin (fi), toistepäin (fi) French: vice versa (fr) Galician: viceversa (gl) German: umgekehrt (de) Indonesian: juga sebaliknya (id)

Interlingua: vice versa (ia) Italian: viceversa (it) Japanese: 逆に (ja) (ぎゃくに, gyaku-ni), 反対に (ja) (はんたいに, hantai-ni) Lojban: ("and viceversa") soi vo'a (jbo) Portuguese: vice versa (pt), vice-versa (pt) Romanian: vice versa (ro) Russian: наоборот (ru) (naoborót) Spanish: viceversa (es), contrariamente (es) Swedish: vice versa (sv) Turkish: tam tersi (tr)

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Dutch

Etymology

From Latin ablative absolute vice versa (“the position having been reversed”), from feminine third declension noun vicis (“arrangement, order, position, etc.”) + feminine ablative singular of perfect passive participle versus, from verto (“I turn, I reverse”).

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˈvisə ˈvɛrsɑ/

Adverb

vice versa

1. vice versa

   Als je het raam open doet, moet je de verwarming uit doen, en vice versa.

   If you open the window, you should turn off the heating, and vice versa.

Synonyms

• omgekeerd
• andersom

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Interlingua

Adverb

vice versa

1. vice versa

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Swedish

Adverb

vice versa (not comparable)

1. vice versa

Synonyms

• omvänt