tete-a-tete

/ˈtɛt ɑ ˈtɛt/

A tete-a-tete might be a casual chat, but it's more likely to be a formal conversation or meeting between only two people.

If your boss requests a tete-a-tete with you, she means that she wants to have a meeting, just the two of you. Maybe you'll get a raise at the tete-a-tete — or maybe you're in trouble. You could schedule a tete-a-tete with your college adviser or plan to sit down with your roommate and have a tete-a-tete about the dirty dishes in the sink. The leaders of warring countries might also try to settle disputes through a tete-a-tete. In French, tête-à-tête literally means "head to head."

Definitions of tete-a-tete

1. noun

   a private conversation between two people
   types:

   pillow talk

   intimate conversation between lovers (typically occurring in bed)

   type of:

   conversation

   the use of speech for informal exchange of views or ideas or information etc.
2. noun

   small sofa that seats two people
   synonyms: love seat, loveseat, vis-a-vis

   type of:

   couch, lounge, sofa

   an upholstered seat for more than one person
3. adjective

   involving two persons; intimately private
   “a tete-a-tete supper”

   synonyms: head-to-head

   private

   confined to particular persons or groups or providing privacy