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arrière-pensée

[ a-ryer-pahn-sey ]
/ a ryɛr pɑ̃ˈseɪ /
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SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR arrière-pensée ON THESAURUS.COM

noun, plural ar·rière-pen·sées [a-ryer-pahn-sey] /a ryɛr pɑ̃ˈseɪ/. French.

a mental reservation; hidden motive.

RELATED WORDS

afterthought, disillusion, reservation, review, rethinking

Nearby words

  1. arrivisme,
  2. arriviste,
  3. arrivé,
  4. arrière-ban,
  5. arrière-garde,
  6. arroba,
  7. arrogance,
  8. arrogance of power,
  9. arrogant,
  10. arrogate
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for arriere-pensee

  • As yet, however, let the student of his history understand, they were not tinged with the slightest "arriere-pensee."

    Stella Fregelius|H. Rider Haggard

  • Dick meant nothing by this speech more than his words implied: he was far too good-natured for an arriere-pensee.

    Not Like Other Girls|Rosa N. Carey

  • A savage will not assist in packing them, for he fears their heels: the Swiss say mules have always an arriere-pensee.

    The Art of Travel|Francis Galton

  • Baroness Dinati was therefore wrong to suspect old Yanski Varhely of any 'arriere-pensee'.

    Prince Zilah, Complete|Jules Claretie
British Dictionary definitions for arriere-pensee

arrière-pensée

/ French (arjɛrpɑ̃se) /

noun

an unrevealed thought or intention

Word Origin for arrière-pensée

C19: literally: behind thought
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012