on the qui vive
"on-the-qui-vive" is a 12-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“on the qui vive” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as an adverb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 15
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - In a state of heightened vigilance, especially prior to battle.
Corpus desk
Index EN-on-the-qui-vive · on the qui vive · English
on the qui vive · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables
- FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
- LEN-MEGA 15 letters
- VOW-6 6 vowels
- CONFUS-0 No pairs
- VAR-0 0 variants
- BOOK-THIN "O" thin
- PHOTO-UNK Peer pending
Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern
Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | on the qui vive |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Adverb |
| Letters | 15 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Long-tail rank of “on the qui vive” in English
Rare enough to double-check
on the qui vive is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anadverb. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "In a state of heightened vigilance, especially prior to battle.".
No generated misspelling entries exist for on the qui vive in our index, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.
Etymologically, the entry records: Partial calque of French sur le qui-vive (“in a state of heightened vigilance”). The correct English form is on the qui vive, spelled O-N- -T-H-E- -Q-U-I- -V-I-V-E.
Definition
- 1In a state of heightened vigilance, especially prior to battle.
Recorded use
Wiktionary examplesThese source excerpts show how on the qui vive appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.
The political influence wielded by many of the court ladies, and especially by the first lady-in-waiting (mother of the present Emperor), bears a certain resemblance to that which the eunuchs wielded under the later Manchus at the court of Peking. […] And behind the 30 ladies-in-waiting there are the rank and file of female palace attendants, some 300, al…
The question of who pressed the bell that sounded in Erskine's room, in the night, was a great source of worry to Watt, for a time, and kept him awake at night, on the qui vive.
Etymology
Partial calque of French sur le qui-vive (“in a state of heightened vigilance”).
Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.