volte-face
/'vɔlt'fɑ:s/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Noun: A complete reversal of one's position, opinion, policy, or attitude; an about-face.
Usage
This word is used to describe a sudden and complete change in stance, often in the context of politics, strategy, or personal belief. It implies a dramatic and sometimes surprising turnaround from a previously held position.
Examples
- The senator's volte-face on the tax bill shocked his supporters.
- The company's sudden volte-face on remote work policies confused the entire staff.
- His political career was defined by a dramatic volte-face from hawkish interventionism to staunch pacifism.
Advanced Usage
- The term often carries a formal or literary tone and can imply a change that is strategic, forced by circumstances, or perceived as inconsistent.
- It can be used in historical or analytical writing to describe pivotal shifts in policy or ideology.
Variants and Related Words
- About-face (noun): A more common, less formal synonym for a complete reversal.
- U-turn (noun): An informal term for a complete change of plan or opinion.
- Reversal (noun): A change to an opposite direction, position, or course of action.
- Flip-flop (noun, informal): Often used in politics to describe a reversal, typically with a negative connotation of inconsistency.
Synonyms
- About-face
- Reversal
- Turnaround
- U-turn
- Shift
- Change of heart
Antonyms
- Consistency
- Steadfastness
- Continuation
- Adherence
Idioms and Phrases
- To perform/execute a volte-face: To carry out a complete reversal.
- Facing public pressure, the administration was forced to perform a volte-face.
- A complete volte-face: Emphasizes the totality of the change.
- The new evidence led to a complete volte-face in the investigation's direction.
Noun
- a major change in attitude or principle or point of view
- an about-face on foreign policy