volte-face

UK: /ˌvɒltˈfɑːs/ US: (volt fäs′, vōlt-; Fr. vôlt^ə fas′)

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

volte-face  (volt fäs′, vōlt-; Fr. vôlt^ə fas′), n., pl. volte-face. 

1. Foreign Terms a turnabout, esp. a reversal of opinion or policy.

• Italian voltafaccia, equivalent. to volta turn (see volt²) + faccia face
• French
• 1810–20

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

volte-face / ˈvɒltˈfɑːs/ noun (volte-face)

1. a reversal, as in opinion or policy
2. a change of position so as to look, lie, etc, in the opposite direction

Etymology: 19th Century: from French, from Italian volta-faccia, from volta a turn + faccia face