mano a mano

/ˌmɑnoʊ ɑ ˈmɑnoʊ/

Other forms: manos a manos

Something that's mano a mano happens directly, or face to face. If you want to settle an argument with your friend mano a mano, you hope for an in-person conversation with her.

Mano a mano means "hand to hand" in Spanish, and it originally referred to a physical fight at close range. While it can still describe an up-close altercation, you can also use it for any kind of face-to-face confrontation, like candidates clashing mano a mano on a debate stage. Don't make the common mistake of confusing mano a mano with "man to man," which describes an honest conversation between two people.

Definitions of mano a mano

1. noun

   a direct face-to-face competition, argument, or fight between two people
2. adjective

   relating to an argument or competition that is direct and face-to-face
3. adverb

   in close or direct competition