What is the meaning of janus-faced?

adjective

  • Having or concerned with polarities or contrasts.
    • usage: "a Janus-faced view of history"; "a Janus-faced policy"
  • Marked by deliberate deceptiveness especially by pretending one set of feelings and acting under the influence of another."she was a deceitful scheming little thing- Israel Zangwill; "a double-dealing double agent"; "a double-faced infernal traitor and schemer- W. M. Thackeray
  • Having two faces-one looking to the future and one to the past.
    • usage: "Janus the two-faced god"
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APAWordNet. (2010). janus-faced. Retrieved September 20, 2026, from http://smartdefine.org/janus-faced/definitions/1177033
ChicagoWordNet. 2010. "janus-faced" http://smartdefine.org/janus-faced/definitions/1177033 (accessed September 20, 2026).
HarvardWordNet 2010, janus-faced, Smart Define, viewed 20 September, 2026, <http://smartdefine.org/janus-faced/definitions/1177033>.
MLAWordNet. "janus-faced" 23 October 2010. Web. 20 September 2026. <http://smartdefine.org/janus-faced/definitions/1177033>
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