French–English dictionary

achat

An act or process of making a purchase.

achats

(uncountable) The purchasing department of a company.

achérontique

Of, pertaining to or resembling Acheron (one of the rivers located in the underworld according to ancient Greek mythology).

acheter

(transitive, archaic) To suffer consequences for (something) through being deprived of something; to pay for (something one has done).

acheteur

A person who makes one or more purchases.

acheteuse

A person who makes one or more purchases.

achèvement

An end or conclusion.

achever

(ambitransitive) To finish; to make done; to reach the end.

Achille

(Greek mythology) A mythical semidivine hero, the son of Peleus by the nereid Thetis, and prince of the Myrmidons, who features in the Iliad as a central character and the foremost warrior of the Achaean (Greek) camp.

Achoura

(Shi'ism) A holy day falling on the 10th day of Muharram, commemorating the martyrdom of Husayn ibn Ali in 680 AD.

acide salicylique

(carboxylic acid) A white crystalline organic acid, 2-hydroxybenzoic acid, C6>H4(OH)(COOH), used in the production of aspirin and other industrial chemicals.

acidité

(of food etc) pungency or acidity.

acier

(countable, uncountable) An artificial metal produced from iron, harder and more elastic than elemental iron; used figuratively as a symbol of hardness.

aciérer

To harden or strengthen; to nerve or make obdurate; to fortify against.

acmé

A high point: the highest point of any range, the most developed stage of any process, or the culmination of any field or historical period. [c. 1610]

acné

A pattern of blemishes in an area of skin resulting from the skin condition.

ACNOR

(Canada) Initialism of w:Canadian Standards Association.

acompte

(finance) A sum of money or other asset given as an initial payment, to show good faith, or to reserve something for purchase.

aconier

A dockworker involved in loading and unloading cargo, or in supervising such work. [from 18th c.]

acouphène

(otolaryngology, pathology) The experience of auditory sensations, such as a ringing or pulsating sound, occurring in the absence of any external stimulus.

acoustique

(usually, in the plural) The properties or qualities of a room or building that determine how sound is transmitted in it.

acquérir

(transitive) To gain, usually by one's own exertions; to get as one's own.

acquiescement

A silent or passive assent or submission, or a submission with apparent consent, distinguished from avowed consent on the one hand, and on the other, from opposition or open discontent; quiet satisfaction.

acquiescer

(intransitive) To concur upon conviction; to accept tacitly; to assent to; usually, to concur, not heartily but so far as to forbear opposition.

acquis

(medicine) Developed after birth; not congenital.

acquisition

(economics) The purchase of one company by another; a merger without the formation of a new company, especially where some stakeholders in the purchased company oppose the purchase.

acquitté

(figuratively) Free of guilt, or suspicion.

acquittement

(legal) A legal decision that someone is not guilty with which they have been charged, or the formal dismissal of a charge by some other legal process. [from 15th c.]

acquitter

(transitive) To declare or find innocent or not guilty.

Acre

A port city in northern Israel, holiest city in the Baháʼí Faith.

acréage

An area of land measured in acres.

âcreté

A sharp and bitter hatred.

acribique

Having no blemish or stain; absolutely clean and tidy.

acrimonie

A sharp and bitter hatred.

acrimonieux

(figuratively) Angry, acid, and sharp in delivering argumentative replies: bitter, mean-spirited, sharp in language or tone. [from early 17th c.]

acrobate

An athlete who performs acts requiring skill, agility and coordination, often as part of a circus performance.

acrobatie

The art of performing acrobatic gymnastic feats.

acrobatie aérienne

(aviation) The practice of flying maneuvers involving aircraft attitudes that are not used in conventional passenger-carrying flights.

acrobatique

Of or pertaining to an acrobat.

acronyme

(linguistics) An abbreviation formed by the initial letters of other words.

acronymie

The act, process, or result of turning a phrase into an acronym.

acronymisation

The act, process, or result of turning a phrase into an acronym.

Acropole

The Athenian Acropolis. (Compare acropolis.)

acte

The process of doing something.

acte d'accusation

(legal) The official legal document outlining the charges concerned; bill of indictment. [from 16th c.]

acte de cession

(legal) A document that effects this transfer.

acte de propriété

(legal) A disposition of property, or the act of granting it.

acte juridique

(legal) A legal instrument that is executed under seal or before a witness; sometimes required for certain legal activities, such as the transfer of certain kinds of property.

acteur

A person who acts a part in a theatrical play or (later) in film or television; a dramatic performer. [from 16th c.]

actif

(accounting) Any item recorded on the left-hand side of a balance sheet.

actine

(protein, uncountable) A globular structural protein that polymerizes in a helical fashion to form an actin filament (or microfilament).

actinite

A burn on the skin caused by excess exposure to the sun's rays.

action

The process of doing something.

action d'éclat

A brave or noteworthy action; a feat or exploit.

Action de grâce

(Canada, US) The long weekend which includes Thanksgiving Day; Thanksgiving weekend.

Action de grâces

(Canada, US) The long weekend which includes Thanksgiving Day; Thanksgiving weekend.

action en justice

(legal) A charge or other process in a law court (also called lawsuit and actio).

action légale

(legal) A charge or other process in a law court (also called lawsuit and actio).

action positive

(uncountable) A set of policies or programs providing advantages for people of a group who are seen to have traditionally been the target of discrimination.

actionnaire

One who owns shares of stock in a corporation.

actionner

(transitive) To put a device, mechanism (alarm etc.) or system into action or motion; to trigger, to actuate, to set off, to enable.

actionneur

A similar device used to activate any mechanism.

activateur

(biology) Any chemical or agent which regulates one or more genes by increasing the rate of transcription.

activement

In an active manner.

activer

(transitive) To put a device, mechanism (alarm etc.) or system into action or motion; to trigger, to actuate, to set off, to enable.

activisme

The practice of using action to achieve a result, such as political demonstration or a strike in support of or in opposition to an issue.

activiste

One who is politically active in the role of a citizen; especially, one who campaigns for change.

actrice

A person who acts a part in a theatrical play or (later) in film or television; a dramatic performer. [from 16th c.]

actuaire

A professional who calculates financial values associated with uncertain events subject to risk, such as insurance premiums or pension contributions.

actualiser

(transitive) To bring (a person) up to date: to inform (a person) about recent developments.

actualités

Current affairs; those events and issues of interest currently found in the news.

actuel

Existing or occurring at the moment.

actuellement

At this moment; right now.

actus

(uncountable, slang) Information, usually from an inside source, originally in horse racing and other sports. [from early 20th c.]

acuité

Sharpness or acuteness, as of a needle, wit, etc.

acuponcture

The insertion of needles into the (living) tissue of the body affecting the Qi or energy along energetic pathways of the body called meridians. This modality is traditionally used as a form of internal medical treating all disease and illnesses, in Western countries it is widely used for the purposes of pain relief.

acupuncture

The insertion of needles into the (living) tissue of the body affecting the Qi or energy along energetic pathways of the body called meridians. This modality is traditionally used as a form of internal medical treating all disease and illnesses, in Western countries it is widely used for the purposes of pain relief.

ad hoc

For a particular purpose.

ad-hoc

Exactly suitable, fitting, apt; timely, convenient, opportune, ready for the occasion; especially of things spoken.

adamantin

Made of adamant, or having the qualities of adamant; incapable of being broken, dissolved, or penetrated.

adaptabilité

The quality of being adaptable; a quality that renders adaptable.

adaptable

Capable of adapting or of being adapted.

adapté

Adapted; fit; suited; suitable; apt.

adapter

(transitive) To make suitable; to make to correspond; to fit or suit.

addendum

Something to be added; especially text added as an appendix or supplement to a document.

addict

A person who is addicted, especially to a harmful drug.

addicte

A person who is addicted, especially to a harmful drug.

addictif

Causing or tending to cause addiction; habit-forming.

addiction

The state of being addicted; devotion; inclination.

additif

(mathematics, of a function, etc.) That is distributive over addition.

addition

(uncountable, arithmetic) The arithmetic operation of adding.

additionnel

Supplemental or added to something.

additionner

(intransitive, mathematics) To perform the arithmetical operation of addition.

additivité

(uncountable, math) The property of being additive.

adducteur

(anatomy) A muscle which draws a limb or part of the body toward the middle line of the body, or closes extended parts of the body—opposed to abductor.

adduit

(chemistry) The product of an addition reaction.

Adèle

A en given name.

adelphe

A person who shares a parent; one's brother or sister who one shares a parent with.

Aden

A port city, the largest city in Yemen; the former capital of South Yemen.

adéquat

Equal to or fulfilling some requirement.

adhérence

The property of sticking or adhering; adhesion.

adhérent

A person who has membership in some group, association or religion.

adhésif

Sticky; tenacious, as glutinous substances.

adhésion

The state of being accepted.

adieu

A farewell, a goodbye; especially a fond farewell, or a lasting or permanent farewell.

adieux

The act of parting company.

adjacence

The quality of being adjacent, or near enough so as to touch.

adjacent

Lying next to, close, or contiguous; neighboring; bordering on.

adjectif

(grammar) Of or relating to or functioning as an adjective.

adjectivaliser

(transitive) To make an adjective of; to form or convert into an adjective.

adjectiver

(transitive) To make an adjective of; to form or convert into an adjective.

adjectiviser

(transitive) To make an adjective of; to form or convert into an adjective.

adjudant

(military rank) A lower-ranking officer who assists a higher-ranking officer with administrative affairs. [from 1641]

adjudication

A judgment or sentence.

admettre

(transitive, or, intransitive) To concede as true; to acknowledge or assent to, as an allegation which it is impossible to deny (+ to).

admin

(computing) One who is responsible for software installation, management, information and maintenance of a computer or network.

administrateur

One who administers affairs; one who directs, manages, executes, or dispenses, whether in civil, judicial, political, or ecclesiastical affairs; a manager.

administratif

Of or relating to administering or administration.

administration

(medicine) The administration of a drug.

administration-séquestre

(legal, business) A form trusteeship of bankruptcy administration in which a receiver is appointed to run the company for the benefit of the creditors.

administratrice

One who administers affairs; one who directs, manages, executes, or dispenses, whether in civil, judicial, political, or ecclesiastical affairs; a manager.

administré

A resident of an area represented by an elected official, particularly in relation to that official.

administrer

(transitive) To manage or supervise the conduct, performance or execution of; to govern or regulate the parameters for the conduct, performance or execution of; to work in an administrative capacity.

admirable

Deserving of the highest esteem or admiration; estimable.

admirablement

To an admirable degree.

admirateur

One who admires.

admiratif

Feeling or showing admiration.

admiration

A positive emotion including wonder and approbation; the regarding of another as being wonderful

admiratrice

One who admires.

admirer

(transitive) To regard with wonder and delight.

admissibilité

The state or quality of being admissible or allowable.

admissible

Worthy, decent, sure of being accepted or received with at least moderate pleasure.

admission

The state of being accepted.

admonester

(transitive) To inform or notify of a fault; to rebuke in a serious tone; to tell off.

admonition

Prudence when faced with, or when expecting to face, danger; care taken in order to avoid risk or harm.

ADN

(biochemistry, genetics) Initialism of deoxyribonucleic acid (“a nucleic acid found in all living things (and some non-living things such as certain viruses) which consists of two polynucleotide chains that coil around each other to form a double helix; encoded in its structure are genetic instructions for development, functioning, growth, and reproduction”).

ado

A person between thirteen and nineteen years old.

adolescence

The transitional period of physical and psychological development between childhood and maturity.

adolescent

Of, relating to, or at the age of adolescence; at the stage between being a child and an adult.

adolescente

A person between thirteen and nineteen years old.

Adolphe

A en given name.

adoptant

Providing parental care to children not related to oneself.

adopter

To adopt (an idea or cause)

adoptif

Related through adoption.

adoption

The state of being accepted.

adorable

Befitting of being adored; cute or loveable.

adoration

The devotion accorded to a deity or to a sacred object.

adoré

Being the object of love.

adorer

(transitive) To honour with extravagant love and extreme submission, as a lover; to adore; to idolize.

adoubement

The conferral of knighthood; investment with a title.