French

1 of 3

adjective

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

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
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Adjective
The existing perspective is that this is useful for natural languages such as English, German, French, etc. Lance Eliot, Forbes, 3 Nov. 2024 His protagonist was a professor of French literature, not exactly a traditionally Japanese pursuit. Mark Schilling, Variety, 3 Nov. 2024 In the wake of that book and her popular cooking show, classic French dishes made in her signature and approachable style, including mousse, took off stateside. Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 3 Nov. 2024 There’s a cast iron tub, a breakfast nook, a kitchen with copper pans, and a master bedroom with French doors. Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 3 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for French 

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of French was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near French

Cite this Entry

“French.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/French. Accessed 15 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

French

1 of 2 adjective
: 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
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 FrenchMedical Industry Today
abbreviation F

Biographical Definition

French

biographical name

Daniel Chester 1850–1931 American sculptor
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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