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c'est la vie

[ se la -vee ]

/ sɛ la ˈvi /

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See synonyms for c'est la vie on Thesaurus.com

French.

that's life; such is life.

VIDEO FOR C'EST LA VIE

WATCH NOW: How Do You Use "C'est La Vie" In A Sentence?

In French, "c'est la vie" means "that's life." And, we English speakers borrowed it into English in the 1880s as an idiom to express acceptance or resignation, much like "oh well." But, how do you use it in a sentence?

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Words nearby c'est la vie

c'est-à-dire, Cestan-Chenais syndrome, c'est autre chose, Cesti, c'est la guerre, c'est la vie, Cestoda, cestode, cestoid, Cestoidea, cestus

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

Example sentences from the Web for c'est la vie

Rule 16(c) was a proposed change in the rules at the 1976 Republican Convention.
The World’s Toughest Political Quiz|Jeff Greenfield|December 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
They were called La Red Avispa (The Wasp Network) and claim to have successfully foiled a number of threats against the island.
Of Cuban Spies, a Baby, and a Filmmaker: The Strange Tale of the Cuban Five|Nina Strochlic|December 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
After a successful summer working alongside R, he officially offered her the reigns of La Domaine.
Dungeons and Genital Clamps: Inside a Legendary BDSM Chateau|Ian Frisch|December 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Now that Collette had left La Domaine, who was she a slave to, Collette or R?
Dungeons and Genital Clamps: Inside a Legendary BDSM Chateau|Ian Frisch|December 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST

After a stint with a replacement Head Mistress went sour, R seriously considered shutting down La Domaine for good.
Dungeons and Genital Clamps: Inside a Legendary BDSM Chateau|Ian Frisch|December 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Vain also was the valour and ability he showed in the campaign against the Royalists in La Vende.
Napoleon's Marshals|R. P. Dunn-Pattison
C was a Captain, all covered with lace; D was a drunkard, and had a red face.
Boys and Girls Bookshelf; a Practical Plan of Character Building, Volume I (of 17)|Various
He was a bookseller, but better known as a translator of the German contributor to the Gentleman's Magazine, &c.
The Every Day Book of History and Chronology|Joel Munsell
Edmund de la Pole, earl of Suffolk, on account of his near relationship to the house of York, beheaded.
The Every Day Book of History and Chronology|Joel Munsell
Commenons, comme l'on dict, de chez nous, de la maison et habitation; puis nous sortirons dehors.
The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents, Vol. II: Acadia, 1612-1614|Various

British Dictionary definitions for c'est la vie

c'est la vie

/ French (sɛ la vi) /

that's life

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

Cultural definitions for c'est la vie

C'est la vie

[ (say lah vee) ]

An expression used to play down some minor disappointment: “So we lost a softball game by twenty-two runs. What can you do; c'est la vie.” From French, meaning “that's life.”

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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