English Vocabulary Derived from French: French Terms Used in English

Bonjour, vocabulary connoisseurs! Did you know that almost 30% of words in the English language come from French? Brush up on these common English words derived from French and show everyone that your vocabulary is the crème de la crème.

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. bon voyage
    expression of goodwill at the start of a trip or new venture
    With that, I bid thee farewell, dear readers, and bon voyage. Washington Post (Mar 26, 2020)
  2. deja vu
    the experience of thinking a new situation already occurred
    There’s an expression, deja vu, that means that you feel like you’ve been somewhere before, that you’ve somehow already dreamed it or experienced it in your mind. The Graveyard Book
  3. en route
    on a route to some place
    In the ambulance en route to the hospital, Vivian sat up front with the driver, who was also a paramedic. Silent To The Bone
  4. faux pas
    a socially awkward or tactless act
    My face heats as she stares at it, her light eyes taking in every flaw and faux pas. Dread Nation
  5. a la carte
    having many choices with a separate price for each item
    They offer a la carte pricing, so passengers pay only for what they need — a seat, a carry-on item, a bag of peanut M&M’s. Washington Post (Feb 4, 2022)
  6. blancmange
    a sweet milk pudding thickened with gelatin or cornstarch
    Her favorite word on the list of spelling bee words is “blancmange,” a sweet dessert. Washington Times (May 22, 2016)
  7. carte blanche
    complete freedom or authority to act
    His habitual absence emboldened the more brutal prison officials and gave them carte blanche to do whatever they wanted. Long Walk to Freedom
  8. aide-de-camp
    an officer who acts as an assistant to a more senior officer
    He exchanges a few words with a thin aide-de-camp, who translates to the mayor. All the Light We Cannot See
  9. au pair
    a foreigner who lives with a family and provides childcare
    Dad said he worked with them in placing au pairs and nannies with lots of university families. Silent To The Bone
  10. bon mot
    a witty or clever remark
    “I am busy as a beaver,” says Parton, ever a master of the folksy bon mot, “and about as dammed up.” Los Angeles Times (Nov 13, 2019)
  11. bon vivant
    a sociable person who enjoys fine food and luxury
    I knew she was a noted bon vivant, and asked of her favourite restaurant. The Guardian (Oct 16, 2017)
  12. coup d'etat
    a sudden and decisive change of government by force
    The 84-year-old former leader was overthrown in a coup d'etat in September by a military junta that now leads the West African country. Washington Post (May 5, 2022)
  13. de rigueur
    required by etiquette, custom, or fashion
    Preserving lemons in salt is de rigueur in Mediterranean cuisine, and I like to preserve limes in salt, as well. Washington Post (Jan 10, 2016)
  14. double entendre
    a word or phrase with two meanings, one of which is indecent
    "I like double entendre because then the people who get it enjoy it, and the people who don’t get it don’t know about it." Fox News (Dec 12, 2021)
  15. en masse
    all together
    We got up, gathered our things and moved en masse across the lawn, toward a scattering of trees. New York Times (Jul 5, 2016)
  16. fait accompli
    an irreversible accomplishment
    The administration said at the time that it opposed the project but viewed it is a fait accompli. Seattle Times (Dec 18, 2021)
  17. force majeure
    a natural and unavoidable catastrophe
    A force majeure is an unforeseen circumstance like a pandemic. Seattle Times (Dec 27, 2021)
  18. hors d'oeuvre
    a dish served as an appetizer before the main meal
    If you plan to serve baby artichokes as an appetizer or hors d'oeuvre, bump up that number to three to four per person. Salon (Apr 23, 2021)
  19. joie de vivre
    a keen or exuberant enjoyment of life
    He brought out her joie de vivre, a passion, an almost infectious laugh. A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age
  20. noblesse oblige
    the duty of the privileged to be honorable and generous
    Paul recalled: "We grew up with a definite value system that had a strong sense of 'noblesse oblige' … you had a responsibility towards your fellow humans." The Guardian (Jun 26, 2013)
  21. nom de plume
    a name an author uses instead of their real name
    In the prison debates I argued for the theory that King James himself was the real poet who used the nom de plume Shakespeare. The Autobiography of Malcolm X
  22. sang-froid
    great coolness and composure under strain
    The book opens with Dana, a security guard with so much sang-froid that her heart rate never budges. Seattle Times (Mar 8, 2013)
  23. savoir-faire
    social skill
    Its Venice workshop claims to embody “ancestral savoir-faire” in a region “revered for its fine shoe craftsmanship”. The Guardian (Jun 17, 2017)
  24. tete-a-tete
    a private conversation between two people
    The film is inspired by the 1970 meeting between Presley and the president, a tete-a-tete captured in a famous White House photograph. Washington Times (Apr 12, 2016)
  25. laissez-faire
    with minimally restricted freedom, especially in commerce
    By 1966, the warders had adopted a laissez-faire attitude: we could talk as much as we wanted as long as we worked. Long Walk to Freedom
  26. avant-garde
    radically new or original
    “He always seems to be avant-garde to me, fresh and daring.” New York Times (Feb 5, 2011)
  27. comme il faut
    according with custom or propriety
    The flavors may be simpler, but they are utterly comme il faut. New York Times (Dec 17, 2010)
  28. enfant terrible
    a person whose unconventional behavior embarrasses others
    “I looked inside and I saw who I was. I was the ‘enfant terrible,’ the ‘wunderkind,’ and that allows a form of behavior I don’t want to do again.” New York Times (May 11, 2018)
  29. folie a deux
    a delusion experienced by two people simultaneously
    Some have suggested their relationship was a classic folie a deux, a shared psychosis in which a delusional belief is transferred from one person to another. BBC (May 16, 2017)
  30. chaise longue
    a long chair for reclining
    There was a long white chaise longue and two tall, curvy white armchairs. Breadcrumbs
Created on Thu May 12 11:17:34 EDT 2022 (updated Tue Aug 02 09:13:50 EDT 2022)

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