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arrondissement

noun

1
: an administrative district of some large French cities
2
: the largest division of a French department

Examples of arrondissement in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The hotel's central location—steps away from the Champs-Élysées yet on a peaceful side street—places guests in the heart of Paris' upscale 8th arrondissement. Sucheta Rawal, Travel + Leisure, 26 Nov. 2025 Elsewhere in Europe, Istituto Marangoni Paris recently opened its new campus at 15 Rue Boissière in the city’s prestigious 16th arrondissement. Fairchild Studio, Footwear News, 24 Nov. 2025 Among the 10 defendants seen arriving at the Paris Criminal Court in the French capital’s 17th arrondissement on Monday were Aurélien Poirson-Atlan, who posts under the pseudonym Zoé Sagan, as well as a clairvoyant named as Delphine Jegousse, who goes under the pseudonym of Amandine Roy. Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 27 Oct. 2025 At the time, what is now the 14th arrondissement was outside of the city proper, but still easily accessible. Sophie Friedman, AFAR Media, 22 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for arrondissement

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French, "action of making round or rounding off, circumscription of boundaries, extension of a territory, subdivision of a French department," going back to Middle French, "rounding off," from arrondiss-, variant stem of arrondir "to make round, round off" (going back to Old French arondir, from a-, prefix forming transitive verbs — going back to Latin ad- ad- — + -rondir, verbal derivative of reund, rond round entry 1) + -ment -ment

First Known Use

1746, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of arrondissement was in 1746

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Cite this Entry

“Arrondissement.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/arrondissement. Accessed 29 Nov. 2025.

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