What Does Vice Versa Mean? | Definition & Examples
Vice versa is an adverb meaning ‘the other way around’.
It’s used to indicate that a statement is also true if the order is reversed. For example, in the sentence ‘we should be respectful of our neighbors, and vice versa’, it suggests that the statement is also true the other way around (i.e., ‘our neighbors should be respectful of us’).
When I’m sad I eat too much, and vice versa.
We can go to the cinema and then for dinner, or vice versa.
All cats are animals, but not vice versa.
Vice versa is a term of Latin origin (like ‘ad nauseam‘ and ‘et al.‘), but it has been used in the English language for hundreds of years, so it doesn’t need to be italicised. It also should not be hyphenated (‘vice-versa’), and the spelling ‘vice a versa’ is incorrect.
Vice versa or visa versa
Because the term can be pronounced ‘vice-uh-vur-suh’, people sometimes mistakenly spell it ‘visa versa’. However, vice versa is the only correct spelling.
- The students learned a lot from the teacher, and visa versa.
- The students learned a lot from the teacher, and vice versa.
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If you want to know more about commonly confused words, definitions, and differences between US and UK spellings, make sure to check out some of our other language articles with explanations, examples, and quizzes.
Confused words
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Frequently asked questions
- What is a synonym of ‘vice versa’?
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Some synonyms of vice versa include:
- Contrarily
- Contrariwise
- Conversely
- Inversely
- The other way around
- How do I pronounce ‘vice versa’?
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There are two ways to pronounce vice versa:
- As three syllables, with emphasis placed on the first and second syllables: [vice–vur-suh]. This is the most common pronunciation.
- As four syllables, with emphasis placed on the first and third syllables: [vice-uh-vur-suh].
Both pronunciations are considered acceptable, but ‘vice versa’ is the only correct spelling.
- Is it ‘vice versa’ or ‘vice a versa’?
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Vice versa is the only correct spelling (not ‘vice a versa’ or ‘vice-versa’), but the phrase can be pronounced both ways: [vice–vur-suh] or [vice-uh-vur-suh].
A Scribbr Grammar Check can help ensure you’re using phrases like ‘vice versa’ correctly in your writing.
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Ryan, E. (2023, October 03). What Does Vice Versa Mean? | Definition & Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved 10 February 2025, from https://www.scribbr.co.uk/definition/vice-versa-meaning/
