Versailles

American  

[ver-sahy, ver-, ver-sah-y^uh] / vɛrˈsaɪ, vər-, vɛrˈsɑ yə /

noun

1. a city in and the capital of Yvelines, in N France, about 12 miles (19 km) SW of Paris: palace of the French kings; peace treaty between the Allies and Germany 1919.

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Versailles British  

/ -ˈseɪlz, vɛəˈsaɪ, vɛrsɑj /

noun

1. a city in N central France, near Paris: site of an elaborate royal residence built for Louis XIV; seat of the French kings (1682–1789). Pop: 85 726 (1999)

2. 1. the treaty of 1919 imposed upon Germany by the Allies (except for the US and the Soviet Union): the most important of the five peace treaties that concluded World War I

   2. another name for (the Treaty of) Paris of 1783 See Paris 1

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Versailles Cultural  

1. City in northern France about ten miles southwest of Paris.

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Discover More

The Treaty of Versailles, signed in 1919, officially ended World War I.

It is the site of the Palace of Versailles, which was built by King Louis xiv in the seventeenth century and was the royal residence for over one hundred years.

The French Revolution began in Versailles, when mobs stormed the palace.

Example Sentences

The injustices of the Treaty of Versailles for another.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 21, 2026

While the rest of the country scrambles to make a living in a world upended by the digital revolution, its creators revel in lifestyles that make the giddy heights of Versailles appear quaint.

From Los Angeles Times • May 5, 2026

Though it was sometimes called the Hungarian Versailles, their palace was, Mr. Currey writes, “in an isolated and frankly miserable location.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026

Leribault was appointed president of the Palace of Versailles, one of the most coveted jobs in French culture, in 2024.

From Barron's • Feb. 25, 2026

Some people were frightened, especially when Hitler promised to defy the Treaty of Versailles.

From "Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow" by Susan Campbell Bartoletti