France

American  

[frans, frahns, frahns] / fræns, frɑns, frɑ̃s /

noun

1. Anatole Jacques Anatole Thibault, 1844–1924, French novelist and essayist: Nobel Prize 1921.

2. a republic in W Europe. 212,736 sq. mi. (550,985 sq. km). Paris.

3. Heraldry. fleurs-de-lis or upon azure.

   a bordure of France.

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France ¹ British  

/ frɑːns /

noun

1. a republic in W Europe, between the English Channel, the Mediterranean, and the Atlantic: the largest country wholly in Europe; became a republic in 1793 after the French Revolution and an empire in 1804 under Napoleon; reverted to a monarchy (1815–48), followed by the Second Republic (1848–52), the Second Empire (1852–70), the Third Republic (1870–1940), and the Fourth and Fifth Republics (1946 and 1958); a member of the European Union. It is generally flat or undulating in the north and west and mountainous in the south and east. Official language: French. Religion: Roman Catholic majority. Currency: euro. Capital: Paris. Pop: 62 814 233 (2013 est). Area: (including Corsica) 551 600 sq km (212 973 sq miles)

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France ² British  

/ frɑ̃s /

noun

1. Anatole (anatɔl), real name Anatole François Thibault . 1844–1924, French novelist, short-story writer, and critic. His works include Le Crime de Sylvestre Bonnard (1881), L'Île des Pingouins (1908), and La Révolte des anges (1914): Nobel prize for literature 1921

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France Cultural  

1. Nation in Europe bordered by Belgium and Luxembourg to the north; Germany, Switzerland, and Italy to the east; the Mediterranean Sea and Spain to the south; and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. Its capital and largest city is Paris.

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Discover More

In the French and Indian War in the 1750s, the British and colonial forces drove the French from Canada and the region of the Great Lakes.

France is known for its wine, cheese, and cooking.

During the reign of Louis XIV (1653–1715), France was a principal world power and cultural center of Europe.

The French Revolution, organized by leaders of the middle class and lower class, brought about an end to the French absolute monarchy and forged a transition from feudalism to the industrial era. A bloody and chaotic period, the Revolution helped lay the foundations of modern political philosophy and ultimately engulfed much of Europe in the Napoleonic Wars. (See Napoleon Bonaparte.)

In World War II, France's military resistance to the German army collapsed in the spring of 1940. Germans occupied much of France from 1940 to 1944. In 1944, the Allies invaded France, along with French troops, and drove the Germans out of France, finally defeating them in 1945.

In World War I, France was one of the Allies; much of that war was fought on French soil.

Other Word Forms

• anti-France
  adjective
• pro-France
  adjective

Example Sentences

Areas of France, Britain, Austria and the Netherlands have issued red alerts or warnings on account of the extreme heat.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 6, 2026

In France, he promised a truck factory, which landed him an invitation to a summit where he posed for an Instagram-ready photo with President Emmanuel Macron.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 6, 2026

Wildfires raged across southern Europe on Monday, forcing thousands of people to evacuate their homes and prompting officials to ban spectators from a stage of the storied Tour de France cycling race.

From Barron's • Jul. 6, 2026

During June's record-breaking heatwave, which saw temperatures of 42C in some areas, France saw its hottest day ever on average country-wide on 24 June.

From BBC • Jul. 6, 2026

For the weeks and months that I’ve been back from France, I don’t think I would have believed there was a distinction.

From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse