au fait

English

Etymology

Borrowed from French au fait (literally “at fact”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˌəʊˈfeɪ/

• Audio (UK):

  (file)

Adjective

au fait (comparative more au fait, superlative most au fait)

1. Being familiar with or informed about something.

   Synonyms: acquainted, at home, conversant, familiar

   Are you au fait with the rules of the game?

   • 1871, Elizabeth Stuart Phelps, “The Silent Partner”, in Popular American Literature of the 19th Century, →ISBN, page 857:

     Now there is father; he is au fait in all these matters; has a theory for every case of whooping-cough, – and a mission school.

   • 1999, R.J. Hankinson, The Cambridge History of Hellenistic Philosophy, →ISBN, page 535:

     In that case, it would help to have a benevolent deity who is au fait with those complexities — but that there is such a deity is a feature of Stoic theology.

   • 2003, D R J Laming, Understanding Human Motivation: What Makes People Tick?, →ISBN, page 4:

     This may sound needless to the professional who is au fait with the history and direction of the investigation.

Further reading

• “au fait”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.

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French

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /o fɛt/

• Audio (fr):

  (file)

• Audio (Paris):

  (file)

Adjective

au fait (invariable)

1. (followed by de) au fait

   Êtes-vous au fait des règles du jeu ? ― Are you au fait with the rules of the game?

See also

• au courant de

Adverb

au fait

1. by the way

   Au fait, d’où viens-tu ? ― By the way, where do you come from?

Usage notes

Not to be confused with au fait de.

Anagrams

• fautai