Left Bank

American  

noun

1. a part of Paris, France, on the S bank of the Seine: frequented by artists, writers, and students.

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Left Bank British  

noun

1. a district of Paris, on the S bank of the River Seine; frequented by artists, students, etc

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Left Bank Cultural  

1. Area in Paris on the left (south) bank of the Seine River.

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The Left Bank is a center of artistic and student life.

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How does left-bank compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• Left Bank vs. Right Bank

Example Sentences

Ali Akbar has been pounding the pavement of Paris's Left Bank for more than 50 years, papers under the arm and on his lips the latest headline.

From BBC • Aug. 9, 2025

They walked out very slowly allowing the audience a close look at the elaborate garments, their spiky gold heels crunching on a gravel runway in a school yard on the Left Bank in Paris.

From Reuters • Jul. 6, 2023

In Paris, a fairly sparse and calm crowd snaked along the Left Bank, in stark contrast to the raucous parade that shook the capital just a month ago.

From New York Times • Jun. 6, 2023

That was the year she met Picasso, by chance, when she and a friend visited a restaurant on the Left Bank, amid a gathering that included his then-companion, Dora Maar.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 6, 2023

Despite the poverty, Sophiatown had a special character; for Africans, it was the Left Bank in Paris, Greenwich Village in New York, the home of writers, artists, doctors, and lawyers.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela