TGV

American

a high-speed French passenger train that runs on a separate track and is capable of a top speed of over 200 miles per hour (320 km/h).

TGV British

/ teʒeve /

abbreviation

train à grande vitesse: a high-speed passenger train

"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

Etymology

Origin of TGV

< French t ( rain à ) g ( rande ) v ( itesse ) high-speed train

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.

Remember that the Shinkansen in Japan, the Eurostar, the TGV in France and many other high-speed systems also went substantially over budget or were delayed during construction.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 16, 2025

“This morning, a police officer ... arrested a threatening individual on board a TGV in Moselle. Kudos to him!”

From Reuters • Feb. 3, 2023

Addressing PSG, Krakovitch wrote: “I re-re-renew our proposition of a TGV offer adapted to your specific needs.”

From Seattle Times • Sep. 5, 2022

Needless to say, when I searched online for hotels, there was no room at the inn, so we opted to do a day trip, which the TGV makes possible in 2 hours, 20 minutes.

From Washington Post • Dec. 16, 2021

Few think twice now before presenting their mobile phones at bars, cinemas and museums, or on TGV trains and at airports.

From BBC • Oct. 27, 2021

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