Mitterrand

American

[meet^uh-rahn, mee-tuh-rahn, -rand, mit-uh-] / mitəˈrɑ̃, ˈmi təˌrɑ̃, -ˌrænd, ˈmɪt ə- /

noun

François (Maurice Marie) 1916–96, French political leader: president 1981–95.

Mitterrand British

/ mitɛrɑ̃ /

noun

François Maurice Marie (frɑ̃swa mɔris mari). 1916–96, French statesman; first secretary of the socialist party (1971–95); president (1981–95)

"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

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

That was the year Mitterrand became president and Jospin first entered the National Assembly.

From BBC • Mar. 23, 2026

Jospin began his career at the foreign ministry and also worked as an academic before joining Francois Mitterrand to try to reform the Socialist Party.

From Barron's • Mar. 23, 2026

In 1985 she was awarded the Legion d’Honneur, France’s highest civilian decoration, but refused to collect it until President François Mitterrand agreed to close the royal hunting grounds.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 28, 2025

Among the seventy invitees were Farah Diba Pahlavi, widow of Iran’s last shah, former French culture minister Frédéric Mitterrand, and a scattering of aristocrats and artists.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 18, 2025

The first leg of the trip took Winnie and me to Paris, where we were treated in very grand style by Francois Mitterrand and his charming wife, Danielle, a longtime ANC supporter.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023