What does rendezvousing mean?
Rendezvousing is the present participle of rendezvous, a verb meaning to meet at an agreed time and place or to arrange such a meeting. It is often used for planned encounters between people who may not otherwise see one another, especially when the meeting is private, formal, or intended to be discreet. In conversation, “we rendezvoused at the station” means that the speakers met there as planned; “they are rendezvousing later” signals an arranged meeting rather than a spontaneous encounter. The word has a slightly literary or old-fashioned air, but remains clear and appropriate in reports, military contexts, and descriptions of romantic or clandestine meetings. Because rendezvous can refer both to the act of meeting and to the appointed place or arrangement, it has a compact, versatile quality. It is more distinctive and less everyday than the simpler words “meet” or “arrange to meet,” which is why it is useful in careful writing when the planned or deliberate nature of the encounter should be emphasized.
verb (present participle and gerund)To meet at an agreed time and place, or to arrange such a meeting. It can also refer to the act or process of meeting as planned.
- To meet at an agreed time and place.
- To arrange a meeting at a specified time and place.
"The two diplomats were rendezvousing at a quiet café when the message arrived."
"After months apart, they rendezvoused outside the theater."
"The delegations have been rendezvousing in Geneva to discuss the agreement."
Rendezvous began in French military and diplomatic usage: what sounds like a polished social label is really the practical name for an arranged meeting.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does rendezvousing come from?
The English word comes through French rendezvous, meaning an appointment or meeting, originally associated with military arrangements. Its deeper roots lie in Old French rendre, meaning to surrender or give, and ultimately in Latin reddere; this also connects it with English words such as render and rendition. The modern sense developed from the idea of coming together or arranging to meet at an appointed time and place.
Related word forms
How rendezvousing is actually used
The word has a somewhat formal, literary, or old-fashioned tone. It often suggests a prearranged meeting and may imply privacy, romance, diplomacy, or military organization, although it can also be used neutrally for an ordinary planned meeting.
Easily confused with rendezvousing
“Rendezvous” is the base form of the verb and can also function as a noun, whereas “rendezvousing” specifically presents the action of meeting by arrangement.