Use word vice versa

Definition of Vice Versa

Vice versa is a Latin phrase, which is used as an adverbial phrase in English to indicate that what has just been stated is also true when the subject and object are reversed.

Vice Versa Usage

Consider this sentence:

• John does not like Amy, and Amy does not like John.

Instead of repeating the information about Amy not liking John, we can replace the second part of the sentence with vice versa.

• John does not like Amy, and vice versa.

The use of vice versa in the sentence above gives us the same information as the first sentence and saves us from rewriting a subject, object and verb.

Here’s another example:

• Germany bombed Britain during the Second World War and vice versa; although, the Germans did a lot more damage.

In the above example, the use of vice versa informs the reader that Britain bombed Germany during the Second World War without needing to rewrite a subject, object and verb.

More Definitions for Vice Versa

Vice versa is effectively another way of saying the other way around, but its definition can cover a broad range of phrases with similar meanings.

Look at this example:

• You can fly from New York to Mexico City on this type of visa, and the other way around.

So, we can replace the other way around with vice versa, giving the sentence the same meaning.

• You can fly from New York to Mexico City on this type of visa, and vice versa.

But the following clauses could also be replaced by vice versa:

• You can fly from New York to Mexico City on this type of visa, and the reverse is also true.
• You can fly from New York to Mexico City on this type of visa, and the opposite is also true.
• You can fly from New York to Mexico City on this type of visa, and the other way around.
• We start the morning with breakfast before going for a short walk, or sometimes the other way around; then we take care of business.
• We start the morning with breakfast before going for a short walk, or the reverse, then we take care of business.
• We start the morning with breakfast before going for a short walk, or we do it the opposite way around, then we take care of business.

All of the above phrases in bold can be replaced by vice versa, showing that the term has many (similar) definitions. Often, vice versa is viewed as a more succinct way to replace these types of phrases.

How to Use Vice Versa?

As we have seen, vice versa is used to indicate that what has previously been said is also true if the subject and object were reversed. But how do you use vice versa correctly? There are a couple of rules to using vice versa in a sentence:

• The phrase being replaced or referred to must have a subject, object and verb.
• Vice versa is nearly always preceded by the conjunctions and, or/nor, and some conjunctive phrases like rather than.
• You can use vice versa with not, if you are trying to convey that something is not true when the subject and object are reversed.

Because vice versa comes from Latin, it is something mistakenly italicized by writers (as is often done with foreign words in English sentences). Almost every major style guide will advise you not to put vice versa in italics. We have italicized vice versa throughout this exercise simply because it is the topic of the post. In addition, a common mistake with vice versa is to hyphenate the two words; there is no need to do this.

A note on the pronunciation: There is some disagreement over how to pronounce vice versa. The first word, vice, is usually pronounced as it looks (rhyming with rice), yet some people pronounce it as vice-ah, giving it a second syllable. The second word, versa, is pronounced verse-ah. Because of the disagreement over how to pronounce vice, vice versa is sometimes erroneously spelled as visa versa. Don’t make this mistake: there is no such phrase as visa versa.

Vice Versa in a Sentence

Vice versa is a formal way of saying the other way around. While it is perhaps more commonly found in formal writing, it is a widely understood phrase and will also be used in less formal correspondence and speech. In modern journalism, you often see vice versa put in parentheses in a sentence.

Vice versa often appears at the end of a sentence, but it can also be used after the subject has acted on an object. For example:

• I became angry with him – and vice versa – after he told me what happened.
• I became angry with him after he told me what happened, and vice versa.

Here are examples of vice versa in a sentence:

• The teacher claims the boy is lying, and, of course, vice versa.
• You can start on the left then move over to the right, or vice versa.
• The Yankees increased their pressure on the Red Sox, and vice versa, but the Sox were victorious in the end.
• Before there is any chance of the bill passing, you must get the consent of lawmakers and then go to the courts (or vice versa).
• Start with red and then move on to blue (or vice versa), then make your way down the other colors of the chart.
• Do you think the benefits of after-school tutoring outweigh the disadvantages, or vice versa, for kids in kindergarten?

More Examples of Vice Versa

• You can transfer CDs to MP3 files, but not vice versa.
• Acids work to neutralize alkalis and vice versa.
• We will use their offices while in Paris, and vice versa when they are here, as a cost cutting measure.
• The girls were wearing the boys’ clothes the last day of camp, rather than vice versa.
• They begin with prayer and then singing, though sometimes vice versa, before attending to matters in the monastery.

History of Vice Versa

Vice versa first appeared in English around the early 17^th century. The phrase combines the Latin words, vice, coming from vicis, meaning change place, alternate order etc., and versa, coming from vertere, meaning to turn around or turnabout.

Usage grew in the 18^th and 19^th centuries, when the phrase was often preceded by the Latin word et (like et cetera). According to the Collins English Dictionary, visa versa has increased in usage throughout each decade of the 20^th century. Collins records vice versa as one of the 10,000 most used words in modern English.

While Latin phrases are sometimes regarded as academic and, indeed, stuffy, vice versa has been widely accepted in common parlance. Vice versa’s meaning in widely understood by English speakers, although as we have seen above, there can sometimes be errors with its usage.

Click below to listen to a recording of this passage about “vice versa.”

Like many English phrases, “vice versa” is borrowed from another language. Other examples of this in English include, “wanderlust”, originally a German word, and “karaoke”, borrowed from the Japanese language. 

Despite being a pretty common term, it is often misused, mispronounced, and misunderstood in English. This is partly due to the fact that “versa” on its own is generally not considered an English word. 

As a result, many English speakers confuse its meaning and usage. 

So, what does ‘vice versa’ mean? What are the origins of the phrase? And finally, how are you supposed to use it in English? We will answer all of these questions and more, but first, let’s look at how the phrase is supposed to sound:

(Prefer to watch this lesson on video? Here’s our full length tutorial on how to use the phrase ‘Vice Versa: its meaning & how to use it):

‘Vice Versa: its meaning & how to use it’:

Vice Versa Pronunciation

Click below to listen to a recording of this passage.

The correct pronunciation of vice versa is a common point of contention (argument or issue), even among native English speakers. There are two common ways that people say the term, but only one of them is correct:

• CORRECT: Vice verse-uh
• INCORRECT: Vice-uh verse-uh

You’ll find some sources that claim both options are legitimate ways to say the phrase, but the official pronunciation makes more sense anyway. “Vice” is an existing word in English meaning “sin” or “immoral behavior” (though this meaning does not apply when it is combined with “versa”). It is pronounced the same no matter how it is used; vice simply sounds like “ice” with the letter “V” at the beginning.

Ironically, versa is not an official English word, yet most people pronounce it correctly anyway. Much like the first two syllables in “versatile,” versa sounds like verse + uh. In both cases, the first syllable is stressed.

Alternatively, many people choose to use another pronunciation. As you can see in the INCORRECT pronunciation above, versa does not change, while vice gets an additional syllable. 

Where did the phrase originate?

It’s possible that the alternative pronunciation came about because some people wanted to bring the phrase closer to the Latin phrase from which it was derived. In Latin, the phrase did feature a two-syllable “vice.” However, the original pronunciation was closer to vice-ee verse-uh. 

Moreover, most Latin words with a non-silent “e” on the end are adapted to match English pronunciation rules. For example, the original Latin word rationale has a non-silent “e” on the end, but in English, it is spelled and pronounced “rational” (rash-uhn-uhl). In English, you drop the “ee” sound from the original Latin word entirely.

In short, you can use both pronunciations for vice versa and it won’t make a difference to most people. However, if you want to use the most correct and formal version of the term, it should be vice (one syllable) followed by versa (two syllables). 

What does vice versa mean?

Click below to listen to a recording of this passage.

From its original Latin definition, vice versa means “the other way around.” As a result, it typically goes at the end of a statement and refers back to the statement. When this happens, the term indicates a rearrangement of the main elements in the preceding statement so that they are in the opposite or reverse position. In essence, the term allows you to save time, rather than restating many of the same words in a different order. 

This may sound a little confusing, so let’s look at a few examples to better understand the meaning:

• I would be there for any of my family members, and vice versa.
  • I would be there for any of my family members and any of my family members would be there for me.
• My daughter doesn’t like her teacher, and vice versa.
  • My daughter doesn’t like her teacher and her teacher doesn’t like my daughter.
• There are times when I’m happy even when work isn’t going well and vice versa.
  • There are times when I’m happy even when work isn’t going well and there are times when I’m sad even when work is going well.

As you can see, vice versa requires a preceding statement that allows for two elements to be switched or turned into their opposite form. In writing, you can use a comma after the statement, though it is not a requirement. People often put a slight pause before saying “and vice versa,” so the comma allows you to indicate this pause in writing.

Synonyms for Vice Versa

Since the term is taken from Latin, you might be wondering if modern English has any synonyms for vice versa. Fortunately, it does! In fact, there are a few different ways to express the term in English:

• The other way around
  • Usually, I cook and my husband handles the cleanup, but sometimes it’s the other way around.
• Conversely
  • He changed a flat tire for me once. Conversely, I changed a flat tire for him once.
• Inversely
  • When unemployment goes up, inflation goes down. Inversely, when unemployment goes down, inflation goes up.
• The opposite is also true
  • My sister helps me pick out clothes; the opposite is also true.
• The feeling is mutual
  • My boss doesn’t like me and the feeling is mutual.

None of these words or phrases work as well as vice versa. Though they all have similar meanings, they are not as easy to use. Both “conversely” and “inversely” are not very common in everyday conversation and they usually require two independent clauses. 

“The other way around” and “the opposite is also true” are cumbersome to say and don’t always convey the exact meaning of vice versa accurately. Finally, the feeling is mutual is one of the best vice versa synonyms, but it only applies when discussing emotions or feelings between two or more people. This is why it is such a popular phrase!

When to Use Vice Versa

Click below to listen to a recording of this passage.

Now that we’ve covered the pronunciation, origin, meaning, and even synonyms, it’s time to look at when you should use the phrase. While this is not a complete list, it will provide you with some common situations in which the term could be useful:

• Parallel emotions or feelings between two or more people
  • I like him and vice versa. (He likes me)
  • They don’t get along with us and vice versa. (We don’t get along with them)
  • Her mother will always love her and vice versa. (She will always love her mother)

• Parallel actions taken by two people, things, or groups
  • The government works with our business to combat fraud and vice versa. (our business works with the government to combat fraud)
  • Different countries send aid to the United Nations, and vice versa. (the United Nations sends aid to different countries)
  • My dog bit my neighbor’s cat and vice versa. (my neighbor’s cat bit my dog)

• Parallel capabilities
  • The software allows you to transfer files from your computer to the cloud, and vice versa. (the software allows you to transfer files from the cloud to your computer)
  • The car can go from 0 to 60 miles per hour in 3 seconds, and vice versa. (the car goes from 60 to 0 miles per hour in 3 seconds.
  • The robot is capable of interacting with animals, and vice versa. (animals are capable of interacting with the robot)

Conclusion

Vice versa is a very useful phrase in English. It might be borrowed from Latin, but it is one of the easiest ways to express the feelings, actions, or ideas of a statement in the reverse order. Additionally, the term is always used in the same way (grammatically), so once you learn how to use it, you’re all set!

We hope you found this guide on how to use vice versa useful! As always, for all things English conversation, grammar, or job-related, visit Magoosh Speaking today!

Vice versa comes from Latin. The phrase is used to say “the other way around.” Vice versa is often used as an adverb, and it doesn’t require a hyphen (nor a dash) between the two words. Unless you’re discussing the term itself (as we are now), vice versa doesn’t need to be italicized or put into quotation marks. 

Much of the English language is made up of loanwords, or words adopted from other languages, and vice versa is just one example. A few others include banana, avocado, poodle, bagel, jazz, and shampoo! In some cases, the phrases that make their way into the English language remain in their original form. For instance, et cetera is a Latin phrase that means “and so on.” Ad hoc is another example that means “for this.” Vice versa is yet another example of this type of phrase, and we’ll be examining it in greater detail in this article. 

What Does Vice Versa Mean?

The word vice in English often refers to a moral fault, but in the case of vice versa, vice has the same meaning as the vice in vice-president. This meaning of vice comes from the Latin word vicis. Vicis means “an alteration,” “a change,” or “a succession.” It can also mean “a position” or “a place.” The word versa in vice versa comes from versus, meaning “to turn.” When you combine vice and versa, the phrase literally translates to “with position turned.” In English, we often say this as “the other way around.”

How Is Vice Versa Used?

Vice versa is an adverbial phrase. This means that it acts as an adverb in a sentence. You’ll often see vice versa used with the conjunctions “or” and “and.” If you want to say, “not the other way around,” you can also use vice versa with the word “not.”

Put simply, you should use the phrase vice versa when you want to note that something you just said or wrote is also true in the opposite order. Imagine you’re not very fond of your coworker, and you think the feeling is mutual. You might say, “I don’t like Bob, and vice versa.” In this sentence, you’re clearly stating that you don’t like Bob, and Bob doesn’t like you, either. By using the phrase vice versa, the subject of the sentence becomes the object of the sentence, and vice versa. 

Throughout this article, we’ve used italics when referring to vice versa because we’re discussing the phrase itself. However, in ordinary use, there’s no need to use quotation marks or italics for vice versa. It also doesn’t need to be capitalized or hyphenated. 

Vice Versa in Sentences

• This device makes it simple to transfer media from VHS tapes to DVDs and vice versa.
• The community theater was putting on a play with reversed roles; the children played the parents, and vice versa.
• “There are times when I’m really sad, and I write something happy, and vice versa,” the author explained.
• After she told me what happened, I was angry with her, and vice versa.