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
Chantal Da Silva, NBC News, 14 Nov. 2024
Leaders like Xi, Putin, Kim, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and even French President Emmanuel Macron have seen Trump’s schtick before.
—Daniel W. Drezner, Foreign Affairs, 12 Nov. 2024
When Salomon rebuilt the Stance 96 last year, the iconic French brand redirected its focus toward off-piste freeride terrain with astonishing success.
—Outside Editors, Outside Online, 11 Nov. 2024
An indefinable musical by a French auteur is headed for millions of streaming subscribers.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 8 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for French 
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.
Adjective
A number of volunteers with Ligue des Droits de l'Homme, or the Human Rights League, a French organization that aims to observe and defend human rights, were stationed outside the stadium to observe police forces’ handling of the event.
—Chantal Da Silva, NBC News, 14 Nov. 2024
Leaders like Xi, Putin, Kim, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and even French President Emmanuel Macron have seen Trump’s schtick before.
—Daniel W. Drezner, Foreign Affairs, 12 Nov. 2024
When Salomon rebuilt the Stance 96 last year, the iconic French brand redirected its focus toward off-piste freeride terrain with astonishing success.
—Outside Editors, Outside Online, 11 Nov. 2024
An indefinable musical by a French auteur is headed for millions of streaming subscribers.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 8 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 23 Nov. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share