faute de mieux
adverb
ˌfōt-də-ˈmyər 
-ˈmyə,
-ˈmyœ
: for lack of something better or more desirable
… sherry made him dopey but he drank it faute de mieux …—
F. T. Marsh
F. T. MarshExamples of faute de mieux in a Sentence
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Born in the communist German Democratic Republic and trained as a scientist, Merkel drifted into politics less because of deep philosophical convictions than faute de mieux.
—Bruce Fein, Baltimore Sun, 12 Dec. 2024
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Bruce Fein, Baltimore Sun, 12 Dec. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Faute de mieux.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/faute%20de%20mieux. Accessed 17 Feb. 2026.
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