saving face

Syllable breakdown

Dictionary meaning

the act of managing social situations in ways that preserve the public dignity and reputation of oneself or others, avoiding the humiliation of public failure, contradiction, or embarrassment, particularly salient in Asian social contexts where face — mianzi, lian, mentsu — is a measure of social standing and moral worth that affects relationships, career prospects, and family honour; saving face may involve strategic ambiguity, indirect communication, private rather than public correction of errors, the use of intermediaries to negotiate sensitive matters, and graceful exits that allow all parties to interpret an outcome favourably; the English phrase entered common use in the nineteenth century as a translation of the Chinese concept and has been fully naturalised into English to describe any situation in which maintaining appearances and dignity takes priority over blunt truth or efficiency