English Reference
Noun

rendezvous

n. countable
C1 Advanced US /ˈɹɑndɪˌvu/ ren·dezvous UK spelling rendezvoused, rendezvouses, rendezvousing Military

n.a meeting at a specific time and place that you have agreed on with someone else. It often feels a bit more formal or secret than a normal meeting.

n.a meeting at an agreed time and place, typically between two people. Often implies a prearranged encounter in a specific, sometimes secluded, location.


SIMPLE

They agreed on a secret rendezvous in the park.

CONTEXTUAL

The two agents arranged a midnight rendezvous at the docks to exchange the encrypted files.

COMPLEX

Despite the logistical challenges of the storm, the explorers managed to reach the designated rendezvous point just as the rescue helicopter appeared on the horizon.

Usage

Often used with the verbs 'arrange', 'keep', or 'make'.

In Elena Ferrante’s The Lost Daughter, Leda allows a new acquaintance, downwardly mobile young mother Nina, to use her beach cottage for an illicit rendezvous.

The Guardian· 11 Aug 2026

The good news was, the spacecraft’s other systems remained healthy, including its power supply, three xenon-fueled electric thrusters, and the rendezvous and robotics hardware the Link satellite needs to capture Swift.

Ars Technica· 1 Aug 2026

Borrowed from French rendez-vous (“appointment”), noun derived from second person plural imperative of se rendre (“to go to”), literally, “[you (imperative)] go to, get yourself to [a place]”.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Level C1 · Advanced
Frequency Frequent
Updated