Versailles

American  

[ver-sahy, ver-, ver-sah-y^uh] / vɛrˈsaɪ, vər-, vɛrˈsɑ yə /

noun

1. a city in and the capital of Yvelines, in N France, about 12 miles (19 km) SW of Paris: palace of the French kings; peace treaty between the Allies and Germany 1919.

---

Versailles British  

/ -ˈseɪlz, vɛəˈsaɪ, vɛrsɑj /

noun

1. a city in N central France, near Paris: site of an elaborate royal residence built for Louis XIV; seat of the French kings (1682–1789). Pop: 85 726 (1999)

2. 1. the treaty of 1919 imposed upon Germany by the Allies (except for the US and the Soviet Union): the most important of the five peace treaties that concluded World War I

   2. another name for (the Treaty of) Paris of 1783 See Paris 1

---

Versailles Cultural  

1. City in northern France about ten miles southwest of Paris.

---

Discover More

The Treaty of Versailles, signed in 1919, officially ended World War I.

It is the site of the Palace of Versailles, which was built by King Louis xiv in the seventeenth century and was the royal residence for over one hundred years.

The French Revolution began in Versailles, when mobs stormed the palace.

Example Sentences

Macron is to host an international investment conference at Versailles palace from Monday.

From Barron's • May 30, 2026

The injustices of the Treaty of Versailles for another.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 21, 2026

While the rest of the country scrambles to make a living in a world upended by the digital revolution, its creators revel in lifestyles that make the giddy heights of Versailles appear quaint.

From Los Angeles Times • May 5, 2026

"By providing the most up-to-date global methane budget through 2023, this research clarifies why atmospheric methane rose so rapidly," said study lead author Philippe Ciais of the University of Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines.

From Science Daily • Feb. 10, 2026

In 1935, as Henry Metelmann, now thirteen, sat in school, he listened to his teacher rant about the Treaty of Versailles.

From "Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow" by Susan Campbell Bartoletti