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
Photovogue, Vogue, 2 Apr. 2025
This conversation is really giving a terrible image of French politicians.
—Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 2 Apr. 2025
This story was still popular centuries after the manuscript was made, but by the 1500s, British readers were mainly consuming Arthurian legend in English, not French, Fabry-Tehranchi tells the BBC.
—Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 Apr. 2025
There are similarities between Romero and Kevin Danso, who joined Spurs in January on loan from French side Lens with an obligation to buy for €25m. Danso, who has been capped over 20 times by Austria, is only five months younger than Romero.
—Jay Harris, New York Times, 2 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for French
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Adjective
Words and pictures by Alexandre Ean About Alexandre Ean
Alexandre Ean is a French photographer based in Paris.
—Photovogue, Vogue, 2 Apr. 2025
This conversation is really giving a terrible image of French politicians.
—Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 2 Apr. 2025
This story was still popular centuries after the manuscript was made, but by the 1500s, British readers were mainly consuming Arthurian legend in English, not French, Fabry-Tehranchi tells the BBC.
—Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 Apr. 2025
There are similarities between Romero and Kevin Danso, who joined Spurs in January on loan from French side Lens with an obligation to buy for €25m. Danso, who has been capped over 20 times by Austria, is only five months younger than Romero.
—Jay Harris, New York Times, 2 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for French
Cite this Entry
“French.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/French. Accessed 7 Apr. 2025.
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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