arrondissement

American  

[uh-ron-dis-muhnt, ar-uhn-dees-, a-rawn-dees-mahn] / əˈrɒn dɪs mənt, ˌær ənˈdis-, a rɔ̃ disˈmɑ̃ /

noun

plural

arrondissements

1. the largest administrative division of a French department, comprising a number of cantons.

2. an administrative district of certain large cities in France.

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arrondissement British  

/ arɔ̃dismɑ̃ /

noun

1. the largest administrative subdivision of a department

2. a municipal district of certain cities, esp Paris

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Etymology

Origin of arrondissement

1800–10; < French, equivalent to arrondiss- (variant stem of arrondir to round out; see a- ⁵, round ¹) + -ment -ment

Example Sentences

Located in the 7th arrondissement, in a spot along the Seine, the museum allows visitors to view—and even stroll through—the historical sewers themselves.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 10, 2026

He went to secondary school in the wealthy bourgeois 16th arrondissement of Paris, where he said he felt an uncomfortable outsider, and later attended the elite ENA administration school.

From BBC • Mar. 23, 2026

Le Bon Marché, a luxury retail store in the 7th arrondissement in Paris, has two-week-long sales both in March and in October called “Très Bon Marché” days.

From Barron's • Mar. 8, 2026

I barged in on Romane and Justine, 20-something women having a late lunch at a sidewalk table in the third arrondissement.

From Los Angeles Times • May 3, 2025

I checked in to a hotel in the 6th arrondissement.

From "Between the World and Me" by Ta-Nehisi Coates