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
Tara Suter, The Hill, 13 Apr. 2025
Over the centuries, many cultures have called the city on Florida's Historic Coast home, including Native American, Spanish, British, French, and African.
—Kara Franker, Southern Living, 13 Apr. 2025
Based on the 2001 film by Baz Luhrmann, the jukebox musical takes its name from a famous French nightclub — founded in the 19th century and still open today — and follows a fictional romance between cabaret performer Satine and bohemian songwriter Christian.
—Emily McClanathan, Chicago Tribune, 12 Apr. 2025
By then, malbec had already arrived in Argentina, introduced in 1852 by French agronomist Michel Aimé Pouget.
—Rachel King, Forbes.com, 12 Apr. 2025
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Adjective
Other world leaders, including United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron, slammed the Sumy attack.
—Tara Suter, The Hill, 13 Apr. 2025
Over the centuries, many cultures have called the city on Florida's Historic Coast home, including Native American, Spanish, British, French, and African.
—Kara Franker, Southern Living, 13 Apr. 2025
Based on the 2001 film by Baz Luhrmann, the jukebox musical takes its name from a famous French nightclub — founded in the 19th century and still open today — and follows a fictional romance between cabaret performer Satine and bohemian songwriter Christian.
—Emily McClanathan, Chicago Tribune, 12 Apr. 2025
By then, malbec had already arrived in Argentina, introduced in 1852 by French agronomist Michel Aimé Pouget.
—Rachel King, Forbes.com, 12 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 18 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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