The 2027 edition of Le Petit Robert, one of France’s most widely used dictionaries, has added 150 words and expressions that reflect new trends shaping French language and society – from AI to globalisation.
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“The new words included in Le Petit Robert reflect the challenges, issues and social concerns of our time, as we create words to describe the world,” said Géraldine Moinard, editorial director of the dictionary series, which hit French bookshops this week.
That includes updating French – in which every noun is assigned a feminine or masculine gender, and where masculine is considered the default form – to be more inclusive.
She gave the example of marrainer, the feminine equivalent of parrainer, a verb that means “to sponsor” or “endorse”.
A new entry in the 2027 dictionary, it is “a word that has been around for a long time, but which has remained fairly obscure”, Moinard told RFI. “It is set to enjoy a resurgence and become more widely used.”
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Other newly added terms come from evolving technology – such as prompter, “to prompt”, referring to giving instructions to artificial intelligence.
A team of around a dozen lexicographers use software to analyse the usage of new words.
To be included in the latest edition of Le Petit Robert, words and expressions must be widely used – both on social media and in more traditional contexts. They must also go beyond fads, becoming a lasting part of the French language.
A committee assessed around 1,000 words and expressions for possible inclusion, ultimately selecting 150.
Examples include charo – a slang word for a lothario – and bouiner, a regional term from the north-west of France that means “to spend time on trivial or pointless activities”.
Several words are taken directly from other languages, such as crush or onigiri, while others are new inventions that speak to issues of rising concern – for example, narchomicide, drug-related murder.
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Some Le Petit Robert dictionaries also include encyclopaedia sections, and their list of famous figures is also being expanded.
This year, Pope Leo XIV, cyclist Pauline Ferrand-Prévot and Gisèle Pelicot, who survived years of sexual assault and won admiration for facing down her attackers at trial, are making their debut.
Pelicot is “someone who has truly left her mark and who today embodies violence against women,” Moinard said. “She has become a kind of symbol. I think it was important for us to include this symbol… She is a symbol in France, but also worldwide.”
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This article was adapted from the original version in French.
