French

1 of 3

adjective

ˈfrench 

1

: of, relating to, or characteristic of France, its people, or their language

2

: of or relating to the overseas descendants of the French people

Frenchness noun

French

2 of 3

noun

1

plural in construction : the French people

2

: a Romance language that developed out of the Vulgar Latin spoken in northern and central Transalpine Gaul and that became the literary and official language of France

3

: strong language

pardon my French

french

3 of 3

verb

ˈfrench 

frenched; frenching; frenches

often capitalized

transitive verb

1

: to trim the meat from the end of the bone of (something, such as a chop)

2

: to cut (green beans) in thin lengthwise strips before cooking

Examples of French in a Sentence

Noun

the customs of the French

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Annabelle Breakey; Styling: Emma Star Jensen Mini Almond and Grape Cakes Inspired by French financiers, these small cakes are dense with the warm flavors of almond, orange zest, and butter. —Kara Peeler, Sunset Magazine, 11 Apr. 2024

In the wake of Air and Daft Punk — the latter of which wrapped its groundbreaking Alive tour in 2007 — Justice almost assumed such success was standard for a French electronic act. —Katie Bain, Billboard, 11 Apr. 2024

This approach is reflected in her space’s clean, calming, somewhat Brutalist interior design — a mirror resting on cinder blocks, gray everywhere — the look of which took inspiration from artists’ lofts and Le Corbusier, the Swiss French architect who died in 1965. —Devorah Lev-Tov Kin Woo Ella Riley-Adams Jameson Montgomery Kurt Soller Megan O’Sullivan, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2024

The prestigious French film festival unveiled its 2024 official film selection Thursday in Paris, and Iranian-Danish filmmaker Ali Abbasi’s The Apprentice was among the titles revealed for the event’s main competition. —Patrick Brzeski, The Hollywood Reporter, 11 Apr. 2024

The Captain is a walking paradox, the son of a Vietnamese villager mother and a French priest father. —Laura Zornosa, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2024

Svitolina, who lives in Monaco with her husband, French tennis player Gaël Monfils, and their 1-year-old daughter Skai, has tried to get her grandmother to move out of Odesa. —Sean Gregory, TIME, 11 Apr. 2024

Here are some cool ideas that range from one of the best, if most unsettling, movies of 2024 to great shows and concerts and more fabulous French fries (mmm … French fries). —Randy McMullen, The Mercury News, 11 Apr. 2024

The lineup was unveiled by Cannes Film Festival chief Thierry Fremaux and president Iris Knobloch on Thursday at the UGC Normandie theater in Paris, where impatient French and international film journalists gathered. —Peter Debruge, Variety, 11 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English, from Old English frencisc, from Franca Frank

First Known Use

Adjective

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Verb

circa 1895, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing French

• Anglo-French
• anti-French
• French bread
• French bulldog
• French bean
• French cuff
• French door
• French kiss
• French dressing
• French manicure
• French polish
• French leave
• French letter
• French pastry
• French provincial
• French pedicure
• Middle French
• French window
• French telephone
• French toast
• Norman-French
• pardon my French
• the French
• French braid
• French Canadian
• French chalk
• Canadian French
• French fry
• French press
• French horn
• French tips
• French twist
• French seam
• Old French

Kids Definition

French

1 of 2 adjective

ˈfrench 

: of or relating to France, its people, or their language

French

2 of 2 noun

1

: the Romance language of the French

2

French plural : the people of France

Medical Definition

French

noun

ˈfrench 

plural French

: a unit of measure equal to one-third millimeter used in measuring the outside diameter of a tubular instrument (as a catheter or sound) inserted into a bodily cavity

the catheter shaft size is three French

—Medical Industry Today

—abbreviation F

Biographical Definition

French

biographical name

ˈfrench 

Daniel Chester 1850–1931 American sculptor