French Academy

American  

[french uh-kad-uh-mee] / ˈfrɛntʃ əˈkæd ə mi /

noun

1. an association of 40 scholars and men and women of letters, established in 1635 by Cardinal Richelieu and devoted chiefly to preserving the purity of the French language and establishing standards of proper usage.

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French Academy British  

noun

1. an association of 40 French scholars and writers, founded by Cardinal Richelieu in 1635, devoted chiefly to preserving the purity of the French language

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Academy, French Cultural  

1. A group of leaders in the literature and thought of France. The French Academy is supported by the government of France and sets standards for use of the French language.

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Example Sentences

Known as the guardian of the French language, the French Academy is tasked with maintaining the language's purity and publishes an official dictionary.

From Barron's • Jan. 8, 2026

The French Academy of Sciences tried a similar approach in the late 18th century, solemnly declaring that rocks couldn’t fall from the sky because there were no rocks in the sky.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 25, 2025

The French Academy, founded in the 17th century to guard “pure” French, has been railing against Anglicisms for decades.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 3, 2025

To settle the scientific battle, the French Academy of Sciences sponsored a contest for the best experiment to prove or disprove spontaneous generation.

From Salon • Oct. 19, 2022

Then, in 1674, the Royal Society decided that it ought to establish an observatory to match the Observatoire de Paris, which had just been founded by the French Academy.

From "The Scientists" by John Gribbin