statecraft
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C2 noun /ˈsteɪtkraft/

statecraft

art de gouverner
Meaning
The art of governing and managing state affairs effectively.
Example
The leader was praised for his exceptional statecraft in handling international relations.
Le leader a été félicité pour son art de gouverner exceptionnel dans la gestion des relations internationales.
C2 noun /ˌɒpəˈrɛtə/

operetta

opéra léger
Meaning
a short opera with light and humorous themes
Example
The theater staged a famous operetta by Gilbert and Sullivan.
Le théâtre a présenté une célèbre opérette de Gilbert et Sullivan.
C2 noun /ˈeɪ.viˌɛr.i/

aviary

volière
Meaning
a large enclosure for keeping birds
Example
The zoo built a new aviary for exotic parrots.
Le zoo a construit une nouvelle volière pour les perroquets exotiques.
C2 verb /ˈmɒtl/

mottle

moucheté
Meaning
To mark with spots or patches of color.
Example
The leaves were mottled with shades of yellow and brown.
Les feuilles étaient marquées de taches jaunes et brunes.
C2 adjective /ˌɪrɪˈtriːvəbl/

irretrievable

irrécupérable
Meaning
impossible to recover or regain
Example
The documents were lost in an irretrievable way after the fire.
Les documents ont été perdus de manière irrécupérable après l'incendie.
C2 adjective /pəˈrɒnɪməs/

paronymous

paronymes
Meaning
Words that are derived from the same root or sound alike.
Example
The words 'effect' and 'effective' are paronymous.
Les mots ‘effect’ et ‘effective’ sont des paronymes.
C2 noun /ˈboʊsən/

boatswain

officier de bord
Meaning
a ship's officer in charge of equipment and the crew
Example
The boatswain supervised the sailors on deck.
Le bôt-swên a supervisé les marins sur le pont.
C2 noun /ˈreɪmənt/

raiment

vêtements
Meaning
clothing, especially fine or formal wear
Example
The king wore royal raiment during the ceremony.
Le roi portait des vêtements royaux pendant la cérémonie.
C2 adjective /rəˈkoʊkoʊ/

rococo

rococo
Meaning
characterized by ornate detail and elaborate decoration, especially in art, architecture, and design
Example
The palace was decorated in a lavish rococo style.
Le palais a été décoré dans un style rococo luxueux.
C2 noun /ˈtʃɜː.nɪŋ stɪk/

Churning stick

bâton de barattage
Meaning
a wooden stick used for stirring and churning butter, milk, or other liquids
Example
Grandmother used a churning stick to make fresh butter.
La grand-mère a utilisé un bâton de barattage pour faire du beurre frais.
C2 noun /ˌkɒnvəˈluːʃən/

convolution

convolution, courbe complexe ou structure
Meaning
a twist, coil, or a complex and intricate shape or arrangement
Example
The brain has many convolutions that increase its surface area.
Le cerveau a de nombreuses convolutions qui augmentent sa surface.
C2 verb /ˌsɜːrkəmˈnævɪɡeɪt/

circumnavigate

faire le tour du monde
Meaning
to travel all the way around something, especially the earth
Example
Magellan was the first to circumnavigate the globe.
Magellan fut le premier à faire le tour du monde.
C2 adjective /ˈvɔːntɪd/

vaunted

excessivement vanté
Meaning
praised or boasted about, especially excessively
Example
The vaunted technology failed to deliver the expected results.
La technologie excessivement vantée n'a pas donné les résultats attendus.
C2 adjective /ˈkɪŋ.ki/

Kinky

pratiques sexuelles non conventionnelles; cheveux frisés ou bouclés
Meaning
having or involving unconventional sexual practices; having tight curls or bends
Example
His kinky hair made him look unique.
Ses cheveux frisés le rendaient unique.
C2 noun /kɪln/

kiln

four de potier
Meaning
a furnace or oven for burning, baking, or drying, especially one for firing pottery or bricks
Example
The potter placed the clay pots into the kiln for firing.
Le potier a placé les pots en argile dans le four de potier pour les cuire.
C2 adjective /ˈkɑːrnəl/

carnal

carnel
Meaning
Relating to physical, especially sexual, desires and appetites.
Example
The book explores the conflict between spiritual and carnal desires.
Le livre explore le conflit entre les désirs spirituels et carnels.
C2 verb /ɪˈkwɪvəˌkeɪt/

equivocate

parler de manière ambiguë
Meaning
To speak ambiguously or avoid giving a clear answer.
Example
The politician equivocated when asked about the scandal.
Le politicien a équivoqué lorsqu'on lui a posé des questions sur le scandale.
C2 verb /ˈɔːɡər/

augur

augurer
Meaning
To be a sign of something to come; to predict or foretell.
Example
Dark clouds augur a coming storm.
Des nuages sombres augurent une tempête à venir.
C2 adjective /fɪˈdjuːʃəl/

fiducial

fiduciaire, de référence
Meaning
based on trust or confidence; serving as a standard of reference
Example
The fiducial point on the map ensures accurate measurements.
Le point fiduciaire sur la carte assure des mesures précises.
C2 noun ˈfaɪ.təʊˌnjuː.tri.ənt

phytonutrient

phytonutriment
Meaning
Chemical compounds produced by plants that are beneficial to human health but not essential nutrients.
Example
Broccoli is rich in phytonutrients that enhance immunity.
Le brocoli est riche en phytonutriments qui renforcent l'immunité.
C2 adjective /ɡrʌf/

gruff

rude
Meaning
Rough or stern in manner, speech, or voice.
Example
Despite his gruff manner, he was very kind-hearted.
Malgré son comportement rude, il était très gentil.
C2 adjective /sɛnˈtrɪfjʊɡəl/

centrifugal

centrifuge
Meaning
Moving or tending to move away from a center.
Example
The centrifugal force pushes the clothes to the sides of the washing machine.
La force centrifuge pousse les vêtements vers les bords de la machine à laver.
C2 noun /ˈʌndərlɪŋ/

underling

subordonné
Meaning
a person of low rank or importance; a subordinate
Example
The manager ordered his underlings to finish the task quickly.
Le directeur a ordonné à ses subordonnés de terminer rapidement la tâche.
C2 noun /əˈsper.ɪ.ti/

asperity

asperité
Meaning
Harshness of tone, manner, or surface.
Example
She spoke with asperity when she was interrupted.
Elle parla avec aspérité lorsqu'elle fut interrompue.
C2 noun/verb /ˈrɛkəmˌpɛns/

recompense

compensation
Meaning
to compensate someone for loss or harm suffered; compensation given for damage or injury
Example
The company offered financial recompense to the injured worker.
La société a offert une compensation financière au travailleur blessé.
C2 noun ˌkɒdʒɪˈteɪʃən

cogitation

réflexion, méditation
Meaning
The action of thinking deeply about something; contemplation
Example
After much cogitation, he made the final decision.
Après beaucoup de réflexion, il prit la décision finale.
C2 verb /əˈsweɪdʒ/

assuage

apaiser
Meaning
To make an unpleasant feeling less intense; to ease or relieve.
Example
The kind words helped assuage her anxiety.
Les mots gentils ont aidé à apaiser son anxiété.
C2 verb /ˈɡæmbəl/

gambol

sauter joyeusement
Meaning
to run or jump about playfully
Example
The lambs gamboled in the field under the sun.
Les agneaux sautaient joyeusement dans le champ sous le soleil.
C2 adjective /ˈprʊəriənt/

prurient

lubrique
Meaning
having or showing an excessive interest in sexual matters
Example
The magazine was criticized for its prurient content.
Le magazine a été critiqué pour son contenu lubrique.
C2 noun /ɪkˈsɪʒən/

excision

excision
Meaning
the act of cutting something out, especially by surgical removal
Example
The excision of the infected tissue prevented further complications.
L'excision du tissu infecté a empêché d'autres complications.
C2 verb /ˌmæn.juˈmɪt/

manumit

libérer de l'esclavage
Meaning
to release from slavery or servitude; to set free
Example
The landowner decided to manumit his slaves.
Le propriétaire a décidé de libérer ses esclaves.
C2 noun /ˌfəʊ.təʊ.sen.sɪˈtɪv.ɪ.ti/

photosensitivity

sensibilité à la lumière
Meaning
Sensitivity to light, especially abnormal sensitivity that may cause discomfort or damage.
Example
Overrubbing can increase photosensitivity.
Un frottement excessif peut augmenter la sensibilité à la lumière.
C2 adjective /ˌsʌb.əˈkwɒt.ɪk/

subaquatic

subaquatique
Meaning
Existing, living, or located under water.
Example
Divers explored the subaquatic cave system filled with rare fish.
Les plongeurs ont exploré le système de grottes subaquatiques remplies de poissons rares.
C2 noun /ˈfrɛʃɪt/

freshet

crue soudaine du fleuve
Meaning
A sudden overflow of a stream or river caused by heavy rain or melting snow.
Example
After the storm, the river turned into a raging freshet.
Après la tempête, la rivière est devenue un freshet furieux.
C2 noun /ˈhækəlz/

hackles

les poils à l'arrière du cou d'un animal qui se dressent lorsqu'il est en colère ou alarmé; figurativement, des sentiments de colère ou de ressentiment
Meaning
the hairs on the back of an animal’s neck that rise when it is angry or alarmed; figuratively, feelings of anger or resentment
Example
His rude comment raised my hackles.
Son commentaire grossier a levé mes hackles.
C2 noun /ɪnˈfrækʃən/

infraction

infraction
Meaning
A violation or breach of a rule, law, or agreement.
Example
The student was punished for a minor infraction of the school rules.
L'étudiant a été puni pour une infraction mineure aux règles de l'école.
C2 noun /ˈsɛrəf/

seraph

séraphin
Meaning
An angelic being associated with light and purity, often depicted as a high-ranking angel in Christian theology.
Example
The stained-glass window depicted a seraph with outstretched wings.
Le vitrail représentait un séraphin avec des ailes déployées.
C2 adjective /əˈvʌŋkjələr/

avuncular

sympathique comme un oncle
Meaning
kind and friendly, like an uncle
Example
He had an avuncular manner that made everyone feel comfortable.
Il avait une manière avunculaire qui mettait tout le monde à l'aise.
C2 adjective /ˌdaɪəˈkrɪtɪkəl/

diacritical

diacritique
Meaning
Relating to a mark added to a letter to indicate a different pronunciation or stress.
Example
The word résumé has diacritical marks that change its meaning from resume.
Le mot 'résumé' a des marques diacritiques qui changent sa signification de 'resume'.
C2 verb /mʌlkt/

mulct

amender / frauder
Meaning
to punish by a fine or to defraud someone of money
Example
The corrupt official was mulcted for his misconduct.
L'officiel corrompu a été condamné à une amende pour sa mauvaise conduite.
C2 noun /ɪmˈpʌlʃən/

impulsion

impulsion
Meaning
a strong urge or drive to act; the act of impelling
Example
His impulsion to travel made him leave his job suddenly.
Son impulsion de voyager l'a poussé à quitter son travail soudainement.
C2 adjective /lɪˈbɪdənəs/

libidinous

lubrique
Meaning
Showing excessive sexual drive; lustful.
Example
The play was criticized for its libidinous characters.
La pièce a été critiquée pour ses personnages lubriques.
C2 noun /ˌɪnədˈvɜːrtəns/

inadvertence

inadvertance
Meaning
Failure to pay attention; carelessness.
Example
The error happened through sheer inadvertence.
L'erreur est survenue par pure inadvertance.
C2 verb /traɪˈsɛkt/

trisect

diviser en trois parties
Meaning
To divide into three parts.
Example
The teacher asked the students to trisect the line segment.
Le professeur a demandé aux élèves de diviser le segment de ligne en trois parties.
C2 verb /ˈkɒndʒʊɡeɪt/

conjugate

conjuguer
Meaning
to list the different forms of a verb according to tense, person, and number
Example
Students are asked to conjugate the verb 'to be'.
Les étudiants sont invités à conjuguer le verbe 'être'.
C2 adjective /fækˈtɪʃəs/

factitious

artificiel, non authentique
Meaning
artificial or fabricated; not natural or genuine
Example
The excitement in his story seemed factitious and forced.
L'excitation dans son histoire semblait factice et forcée.
C2 noun /ˈkjuːbeb ˈpepər/

Cubeb Pepper

poivre cubèbe
Meaning
aromatic spice with a slightly bitter taste and cooling aftertaste
Example
Cubeb pepper is used in traditional Indonesian cuisine.
Le poivre cubèbe est utilisé dans la cuisine traditionnelle indonésienne.
C2 noun /ˌɪnvəˈkeɪʃən/

invocation

invocation
Meaning
the act of calling upon a higher power for help, blessing, or inspiration
Example
The ceremony began with an invocation to the gods.
La cérémonie a commencé par une invocation aux dieux.
C2 verb /koʊˈhɪr/

cohere

cohérer
Meaning
To stick together; to be united logically or physically.
Example
The ideas in his essay cohere well.
Les idées de son essai cohèrent bien.
C2 verb /ˈproʊtjuːbəreɪt/

protuberate

gonfler
Meaning
To swell out or bulge.
Example
The roots began to protuberate from the ground.
Les racines ont commencé à gonfler du sol.
C2 adjective /sɒmˈnɪfərəs/

somniferous

somnifère
Meaning
Tending to induce sleep; soporific.
Example
The professor's somniferous lecture put half the class to sleep.
Le cours somnifère du professeur a endormi la moitié de la classe.
C2 adjective /ˈmɒθ ˌiːtən/

moth-eaten

mangé par les mites
Meaning
Damaged or worn out, especially by moths or age.
Example
He wore a moth-eaten sweater on the cold day.
Il portait un pull mangé par les mites par une journée froide.
C2 noun /spɪˈlʌŋkər/

spelunker

spéléologue
Meaning
A person who explores caves as a hobby.
Example
The spelunker carried ropes and lights into the dark cave.
Le spéléologue a emporté des cordes et des lumières dans la grotte sombre.
C2 noun /ˈnɛtl̩/

nettle

plante avec des poils qui provoquent des irritations lorsqu'ils sont touchés
Meaning
a plant with stinging hairs that cause irritation when touched
Example
He accidentally brushed against the nettle and felt a sharp sting.
Il a accidentellement frôlé l'ortie et a ressenti une douleur aiguë.
C2 noun /fluːk/

fluke

coup de chance
Meaning
A stroke of luck; an unexpected piece of good fortune.
Example
Winning the lottery was a complete fluke.
Gagner à la loterie était un véritable coup de chance.
C2 adjective /ɪˈnɪm.ɪ.tə.bəl/

inimitable

inimitable
Meaning
So good or unusual as to be impossible to copy; unique.
Example
His inimitable writing style made him a literary legend.
Son style d'écriture inimitable a fait de lui une légende littéraire.
C2 adjective /ˈkrɛstˌfɔːlən/

crestfallen

abattu
Meaning
sad and disappointed
Example
He looked crestfallen after hearing the bad news.
Il avait l'air abattu après avoir entendu les mauvaises nouvelles.
C2 adjective /ˌɪntəˈrɒɡətəri/

interrogatory

interrogatif
Meaning
expressed in the form of a question; relating to questioning
Example
The lawyer’s interrogatory tone made the witness uncomfortable.
Le ton interrogatif de l'avocat a rendu le témoin mal à l'aise.
C2 noun /ˌskʌlˈdʌɡəri/

skullduggery

supercherie
Meaning
dishonest behavior or activities, often done secretly
Example
The election was full of political skullduggery.
L'élection était pleine de supercheries politiques.
C2 noun /ˈnɪk.næk/

knickknack

bonheur
Meaning
A small decorative object, especially in a house.
Example
The shelf was full of little knickknacks collected from their travels.
Elle n'a pas pu cacher son bonheur lorsqu'elle a reçu le prix.
C2 adjective /ˌhaɪpərˈbɔːriən/

hyperborean

hyperboréen
Meaning
Relating to the extreme north; very cold or frigid.
Example
The explorers prepared for the hyperborean climate of the Arctic.
Les explorateurs se sont préparés pour le climat hyperboréen de l'Arctique.
C2 noun /ˌɒnəˈreəriəm/

honorarium

honoraires
Meaning
A payment given for professional services that are rendered without a fee.
Example
The guest lecturer received an honorarium for her talk.
Le conférencier invité a reçu un honorarium pour sa conférence.
C2 adjective /ˈnjuː.trɪ.tɪv/

nutritive

nutritif
Meaning
Relating to nutrition; having nourishing qualities.
Example
The nutritive value of the fruit is very high.
La valeur nutritive du fruit est très élevée.
C2 noun /ˌprɪnsɪˈpæləti/

principality

principauté
Meaning
a state ruled by a prince
Example
Monaco is a famous principality in Europe.
Monaco est une principauté célèbre en Europe.
C2 noun /kwɪˈɛsəns/

quiescence

quiescence
Meaning
A state of quietness, inactivity, or dormancy.
Example
The volcano has been in a state of quiescence for decades.
Le volcan est en état de quiescence depuis des décennies.
C2 noun /ˈvɜːrbiɪdʒ/

verbiage

verbosité
Meaning
Excessive use of words, often with little content or meaning; wordiness.
Example
The contract was filled with unnecessary legal verbiage.
Le contrat était rempli de verbosité juridique inutile.
C2 verb /ˈnɪtˌpɪk/

nitpick

chercher des défauts
Meaning
To find and criticize small or unimportant faults in someone or something.
Example
She tends to nitpick about every little detail.
Elle a tendance à critiquer chaque petit détail.
C2 noun /dɪˈstɪlər/

distiller

distillateur
Meaning
A person or company that makes alcoholic drinks or purified liquids by distillation.
Example
The distiller introduced a new brand of whiskey last year.
Le distillateur a lancé une nouvelle marque de whisky l'année dernière.
C2 noun /ˌkəʊ.əˈles.əns/

coalescence

coalescence, fusion
Meaning
The process of coming together to form one mass or whole.
Example
The coalescence of different cultures creates diversity.
La coalescence de différentes cultures crée de la diversité.
C2 verb /bɪlk/

bilk

escroquer
Meaning
To cheat or defraud someone of money or rights.
Example
The scammer tried to bilk elderly people out of their savings.
L'escroc a essayé de soutirer de l'argent aux personnes âgées en leur volant leurs économies.
C2 noun /ɪmˈpruː.dəns/

Imprudence

imprudence; négligence; témérité
Meaning
the quality of being imprudent; lack of care for consequences; recklessness
Example
His financial imprudence led to bankruptcy within just two years.
Son imprudence financière a conduit à la faillite en seulement deux ans.
C2 verb /əbˈskɒnd/

abscond

fuir
Meaning
to leave secretly and quickly, often to avoid arrest or punishment
Example
The thief tried to abscond with the stolen jewelry.
Le voleur a essayé de fuir avec les bijoux volés.
C2 verb /ɪnˈdʒɛst/

ingest

ingérer
Meaning
To take food, drink, or another substance into the body, usually by swallowing.
Example
The patient must ingest the medicine with water.
Le patient doit ingérer le médicament avec de l'eau.
C2 noun /ˈæntɪˌtʃeɪmbər/

antechamber

antichambre
Meaning
a small room serving as an entry to a larger one
Example
The guests waited in the antechamber before being admitted to the hall.
Les invités ont attendu dans l'antichambre avant d'être admis dans la salle.
C2 noun /ˈkɒksweɪn/

coxswain

barreur
Meaning
the person in charge of navigating and steering a boat, especially a racing or small boat
Example
The coxswain shouted instructions to the rowing team.
Le coxswain a donné des instructions à l'équipe d'aviron.
C2 noun, verb /ˈpɑːrli/

parley

parole
Meaning
a discussion between opposing sides, especially to negotiate terms
Example
The generals met to parley over the terms of surrender.
Les généraux se sont rencontrés pour discuter des conditions de la reddition.
C2 adjective /ˈæb.ə.rənt/

aberrant

aberrant
Meaning
deviating from what is normal or expected; abnormal
Example
His aberrant behavior shocked everyone at the meeting.
Son comportement aberrant a choqué tout le monde à la réunion.
C2 adjective /ˌpɛntəˈveɪlənt/

pentavalent

pentavalent
Meaning
Having a valence of five, especially in chemistry.
Example
Phosphorus can exist in a pentavalent state.
Le phosphore peut exister dans un état pentavalent.
C2 noun /ˌsɪmjʊˈleɪkrəm/

simulacrum

simulacre
Meaning
an image or representation of someone or something; a superficial likeness
Example
The statue was only a simulacrum of the ancient god.
La statue n'était qu'un simulacre de l'ancien dieu.
C2 adjective /mɛnˈdeɪʃəs/

mendacious

mensonger
Meaning
not telling the truth; lying
Example
The politician was known for his mendacious statements.
Le politicien était connu pour ses déclarations mensongères.
C2 noun /ˈwɔːrˌmʌŋɡər/

warmonger

belliciste
Meaning
A person who advocates or promotes war or conflict.
Example
The leader was criticized as a warmonger by his opponents.
Le leader a été critiqué comme un belliciste par ses opposants.
C2 adjective /kɔːrˈpɔːriəl/

corporeal

corporel, matériel
Meaning
relating to the physical body; material or tangible
Example
Ghosts are often described as having no corporeal form.
Les fantômes sont souvent décrits comme n'ayant pas de forme corporelle.
C2 noun /kəˈlɒsəti/

callosity

peau épaissie
Meaning
A thickened or hardened area of skin; insensitivity or hardness of character.
Example
Years of manual labor left callosity on his hands.
Des années de travail manuel ont laissé de la callosité sur ses mains.
C2 noun /ˈteɪbər/

Tabour

tambour
Meaning
a small side drum or tambourine used especially in folk music
Example
The folk musician played a lively tune on his tabour.
Le musicien folklorique a joué une mélodie animée sur son tambour.
C2 noun /əbˈsɪdiən/

obsidian

obsidienne (roche volcanique noire et vitreuse)
Meaning
A hard, dark, glasslike volcanic rock formed by rapid solidification of lava.
Example
The knife was made from sharp obsidian.
Le couteau était fabriqué à partir d'obsidienne tranchante.
C2 noun /ˈpærəpɛt/

parapet

mur de protection
Meaning
A low protective wall along the edge of a roof, balcony, or bridge.
Example
The soldier hid behind the parapet for protection.
Le soldat s'est caché derrière le parapet pour sa protection.
C2 noun /ˈsɒfɪst/

sophist

sophiste
Meaning
a person who uses clever but misleading arguments
Example
He was dismissed as a sophist who twisted facts to win debates.
Il a été rejeté comme un sophiste qui déformait les faits pour gagner des débats.
C2 verb /ˈvɪtrɪfaɪ/

vitrify

transformer en verre
Meaning
to turn into glass or a glass-like substance by heat
Example
Sand can vitrify under intense heat.
Le sable peut se transformer en verre sous une chaleur intense.
C2 adjective /hɜːrˈbeɪʃəs/

herbaceous

herbacé
Meaning
Relating to or resembling herbs; plants with soft, non-woody stems.
Example
The garden was filled with herbaceous plants that thrived in the summer.
Le jardin était rempli de plantes herbacées qui ont prospéré pendant l'été.
C2 adjective /ˈfæð.əm.ləs/

fathomless

incompréhensible ou insondable
Meaning
impossible to understand or measure; very deep
Example
The ocean seemed fathomless as it stretched to the horizon.
L'océan semblait insondable à mesure qu'il s'étendait jusqu'à l'horizon.
C2 adjective /ˈfrəʊərd/

froward

têtu
Meaning
Difficult to deal with; contrary and disobedient.
Example
The teacher found the froward child hard to manage.
L'enseignant a trouvé l'enfant têtu difficile à gérer.
C2 noun /ˈbrɪk ə ˌbræk/

bric-a-brac

objets décoratifs
Meaning
Small decorative objects or ornaments, often of little value.
Example
The shelves were filled with old bric-a-brac from her travels.
Les étagères étaient remplies de vieux objets décoratifs de ses voyages.
C2 noun /juː/

Ewe

brebis
Meaning
a female sheep
Example
The ewe gave birth to twin lambs.
La brebis a donné naissance à des jumeaux agneaux.
C2 noun /juːˌtrɑː.fɪˈkeɪ.ʃən/

eutrophication

excès de nutriments dans un lac ou un autre plan d'eau
Meaning
Excessive richness of nutrients in a lake or other body of water, frequently due to runoff from the land, which causes a dense growth of plant life and death of animal life from lack of oxygen.
Example
Excess fertilizers lead to eutrophication in lakes.
Les fertilisants excessifs entraînent l'eutrophisation dans les lacs.
C2 adjective /ˈlæŋɡwɪd/

Languid

languide; paresseux; faible
Meaning
lacking energy or vitality; slow and relaxed; weak or faint
Example
After the long journey, she felt languid and needed to rest.
Après le long voyage, elle se sentait languissante et avait besoin de repos.
C2 adjective /ɪnˈvʌlnərəbl/

invulnerable

invulnérable
Meaning
Impossible to harm, damage, or defeat.
Example
The fortress was thought to be invulnerable to attack.
La forteresse était considérée comme invulnérable aux attaques.
C2 noun /juːˌtɪlɪˈtɛəriənɪzəm/

utilitarianism

utilitarisme
Meaning
The ethical theory that actions are right if they are useful or for the benefit of the majority.
Example
Utilitarianism suggests that we should act to maximize overall happiness.
L'utilitarisme suggère que nous devrions agir pour maximiser le bonheur global.
C2 verb /ɪnˈtræp/

entrap

piéger
Meaning
To catch or trick someone into a difficult situation.
Example
The police tried to entrap the criminal with false evidence.
La police a tenté de piéger le criminel avec de fausses preuves.
C2 adjective /səˈluːtəˌtɔri/

salutatory

discours de salutation
Meaning
Relating to or expressing a greeting or an address, especially at the beginning of a speech.
Example
She delivered a salutatory address at the graduation ceremony.
Elle a prononcé un discours de salutation lors de la cérémonie de remise des diplômes.
C2 verb /ˈdʒɛriˌmændər/

gerrymander

manipuler les limites des circonscriptions électorales
Meaning
to manipulate the boundaries of an electoral constituency to favor one party or class
Example
The ruling party was accused of trying to gerrymander the districts to secure more seats.
Le parti au pouvoir a été accusé de manipuler les districts pour obtenir plus de sièges.
C2 noun /səˈvɑːnt/

savant

bonheur
Meaning
a learned person, especially a distinguished scientist or scholar; sometimes used in the phrase ‘savant syndrome’ for someone with exceptional abilities alongside developmental differences
Example
The conference keynote was delivered by a linguistic savant who studies endangered languages.
Elle ne pouvait cacher sa bonheur lorsqu'elle a reçu le prix.
C2 noun /ˈkɒliər/

collier

mineur de charbon
Meaning
a person who works in coal mines or a ship carrying coal
Example
The collier spent long hours underground extracting coal.
Le mineur de charbon a passé de longues heures sous terre à extraire du charbon.
C2 verb /ˈmɪlɪˌteɪt/

militate

entraver
Meaning
to have a strong effect against something; to work as a powerful factor in preventing or influencing an outcome
Example
His lack of experience will militate against his promotion.
Son manque d'expérience nuira à sa promotion.
C2 noun /ˈpraɪəri/

priory

prieuré
Meaning
a small monastery or convent governed by a prior or prioress
Example
The old priory was converted into a museum.
L'ancien prieuré a été transformé en musée.
C2 noun /ˌluːkjʊˈbreɪʃən/

lucubration

étude nocturne
Meaning
study or meditation, especially at night
Example
His novel was the result of long lucubration.
Son roman était le résultat de longues études nocturnes.
C2 verb /ˌnɒnˈplʌs/

nonplus

décontenancer
Meaning
To surprise and confuse someone so much that they are unsure how to react.
Example
The unexpected question seemed to nonplus the speaker.
La question inattendue sembla décontenancer l'orateur.
C2 noun /ˌɪntərpəˈzɪʃən/

interposition

intervention
Meaning
The act of intervening or coming between two things, often to influence or prevent an outcome.
Example
The manager’s interposition prevented a heated argument from escalating.
L'intervention du manager a empêché une dispute animée de s'intensifier.
C2 verb /ˈdʒɪb.ər/

gibber

parler de manière incompréhensible
Meaning
To speak rapidly and unintelligibly, typically through fear or shock.
Example
The frightened man began to gibber when he saw the ghost.
L'homme effrayé a commencé à parler de manière incompréhensible lorsqu'il a vu le fantôme.
C2 noun /ˌɛksɪˈkreɪʃən/

execration

malédiction
Meaning
An act of cursing or denouncing someone or something with hatred.
Example
The dictator’s name was spoken with execration after his fall.
Le nom du dictateur a été prononcé avec malédiction après sa chute.
C2 adjective ɪˈnɛfəbl

ineffable

ineffable
Meaning
Too great or extreme to be expressed or described in words.
Example
The beauty of the landscape was ineffable.
La beauté du paysage était ineffable.
C2 adjective /ˈæbdʒɛkt/

abject

abject
Meaning
extremely bad, unpleasant, and degrading
Example
They lived in abject poverty.
Ils vivaient dans une pauvreté abjecte.
C2 noun /ˈsɜːrklət/

circlet

diadème
Meaning
A small circular band, typically worn as an ornament on the head.
Example
The princess wore a golden circlet on her forehead.
La princesse portait un diadème en or sur le front.
C2 noun /ˈmɛtrəˌnoʊm/

metronome

métronome
Meaning
A device that produces regular ticks or beats to help musicians maintain tempo.
Example
She practiced the piano with a metronome to keep steady timing.
Elle pratiquait le piano avec un métronome pour garder un rythme régulier.
C2 adjective /ˌɪnkənˈsɪdərəbl/

inconsiderable

insignifiant
Meaning
Too small or unimportant to be worth considering.
Example
The donation was not inconsiderable, though smaller than expected.
La donation n'était pas insignifiante, bien qu'elle fût plus petite que prévu.
C2 adjective /prəˈvaɪzəri/

provisory

provisoire
Meaning
conditional; depending on certain terms being met
Example
The arrangement was only provisory until the final contract was signed.
L'arrangement était seulement provisoire jusqu'à ce que le contrat final soit signé.
C2 noun /ˌmjuːtəˈbɪləti/

mutability

mutabilité
Meaning
The quality of being changeable or capable of change.
Example
The mutability of fashion trends makes it hard to keep up.
La mutabilité des tendances de la mode rend difficile le suivi.
C2 verb /ˈdɛsɪkreɪt/

desecrate

désacraliser
Meaning
to treat a sacred place or object with disrespect or violation
Example
The vandals desecrated the ancient temple walls with graffiti.
Les vandales ont désacralisé les murs du temple ancien avec des graffitis.
C2 adjective /prɪˈmɒnɪtəri/ or /ˌpriːməˈnɪtəri/

premonitory

prémonitoire
Meaning
giving a warning or prediction about something, especially something unpleasant
Example
He ignored the premonitory signs of illness.
Il a ignoré les signes prémonitoires de la maladie.
C2 noun /proʊˈdʒɛnɪtər/

progenitor

ancêtre
Meaning
a direct ancestor; a person or thing that originates something
Example
Researchers traced the custom back to a common progenitor.
Les chercheurs ont retracé la coutume jusqu'à un ancêtre commun.
C2 noun /kjuːˈpɪdəti/

cupidity

cupidité
Meaning
Excessive desire for wealth or possessions; greed.
Example
The king's downfall was caused by his cupidity.
La chute du roi a été causée par sa cupidité.
C2 adjective /ˈtɛnɪbrəs/

tenebrous

ténébreux
Meaning
dark, shadowy, or obscure
Example
The cave was damp and tenebrous, filled with eerie sounds.
La grotte était humide et ténébreuse, remplie de bruits étranges.