Arc de Triomphe

American  

[ark duh tree-awnf] / ark də triˈɔ̃f /

noun

1. an arch, located in Paris, begun in 1806 by Napoleon in honor of his victorious armies and completed in 1836. The unknown soldier of France and an eternal flame were placed beneath the arch after World War I.

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Arc de Triomphe British  

/ ark də trijɔ̃f, ˈɑːk də ˈtriːəʊmf /

noun

1. the triumphal arch in Paris begun by Napoleon I to commemorate his victories of 1805–6 and completed in 1836

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Etymology

Origin of Arc de Triomphe

First recorded in 1810–20; from French: “arch of triumph”

Example Sentences

Trump’s proposed arch would be more than 50 feet taller than the North Korean arch, which is itself 33 feet taller than the Arc de Triomphe.

From Salon • May 3, 2026

The arch, resembling the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, is proposed for a traffic circle on Columbia Island, which sits in the Potomac River that hugs Washington.

From Barron's • Apr. 11, 2026

The magnificent proposed structure is reminiscent of the Arc de Triomphe in Paris and will celebrate America’s semiquincentennial.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 20, 2026

The president wants the arch to be based on the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, France, and to welcome people into the nation's capital from Arlington National Cemetery as they cross the Memorial Bridge.

From BBC • Oct. 15, 2025

To appreciate what has been lost in twenty-three centuries, imagine a certain city in north-central France—and take away the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower, the Sorbonne, the Arc de Triomphe, Napoleon’s Tomb, and Notre Dame.

From "Circumference" by Nicholas Nicastro