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
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
frenched; frenching; frenches
often capitalized
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
Ann Abel, Forbes, 27 Nov. 2024
The callers included Zelenskyy, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, all of whom publicly acknowledged reaching out to the president-elect.
—Michael Collins, USA TODAY, 27 Nov. 2024
That same year, Carrefour was in discussions to merge with French rival Auchan for €17 billion, but those talks fizzled due to valuation discord and regulatory risk.
—Kimberly Chin, Axios, 26 Nov. 2024
Learn how to make homemade French onion dip to impress at your next party.
—Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 26 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for French 
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Adjective
That’s thanks to the eye of Isabelle Stanislas—interior designer to the likes of French president Emmanuel Macron—who guided the project.
—Ann Abel, Forbes, 27 Nov. 2024
The callers included Zelenskyy, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, all of whom publicly acknowledged reaching out to the president-elect.
—Michael Collins, USA TODAY, 27 Nov. 2024
That same year, Carrefour was in discussions to merge with French rival Auchan for €17 billion, but those talks fizzled due to valuation discord and regulatory risk.
—Kimberly Chin, Axios, 26 Nov. 2024
Learn how to make homemade French onion dip to impress at your next party.
—Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 26 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for French
Dictionary Entries Near French
Cite this Entry
“French.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/French. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
French
1 of 2 adjective
: of or relating to France, its people, or their language
French
2 of 2 noun1
: 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 French—Medical Industry Today
—abbreviation F
Medical Industry TodayBiographical Definition
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