Dreyfus

American  

[dray-fuhs, drahy-, dray-fys] / ˈdreɪ fəs, ˈdraɪ-, dreɪˈfüs /

noun

1. Alfred 1859–1935, French army officer of Jewish descent: convicted of treason 1894, 1899; acquitted 1906.

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Dreyfus British  

/ drɛfys, ˈdreɪfəs /

noun

1. Alfred (alfrɛd). 1859–1935, French army officer, a Jew whose false imprisonment for treason (1894) raised issues of anti-semitism and militarism that dominated French politics until his release (1906)

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Dreyfus

Organized and arranged thematically by Renée Dreyfus, the museum’s curator of Ancient Art, it will be on view through Sept. 20.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 18, 2026

Hannah Arendt wrote that fascism wouldn’t have developed the way it did without the Dreyfus affair, and briefly mentioned that Morès’ antisemitic activities shaped the way that unfolded.

From Slate ● Mar. 2, 2026

Then—bang—Mr. Irmis was asking for my pencil, which he might as well have broken over his knee the way the French sergeant broke the sword of Alfred Dreyfus.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 6, 2026

Indeed at one point Sarkozy compares himself with France's most famous victim of justice, Alfred Dreyfus – the Jewish officer who was sent to Devil's Island on a trumped-up espionage charge.

From BBC ● Dec. 10, 2025

In 1894, the French criminologist Bertillon had helped to wrongfully convict Alfred Dreyfus of treason, having presented a wildly incorrect handwriting analysis.

From "Killers of the Flower Moon" by David Grann