Word
monsieur
Phoneticsmon·sieur
US/məsˈjɝ/
UK/məsjˈɜː/
Definitions
01French title for a man
n. the French word for 'Mister', used before a man's name or as a polite way to address him.
n. the standard French title of respect for a man, equivalent to 'Mister' or 'Sir'.
“The waiter greeted the guest with a polite 'Good evening, Monsieur'.”
“Monsieur Dupont has been the lead consultant on the project since its inception in Paris last year.”
Formal
Usage
Capitalized when used as a title before a surname; often abbreviated as M. in French writing.
Antonyms
02a French man
n. a way to refer to a French man, sometimes used in a slightly old-fashioned or formal way.
n. a term used to refer to a Frenchman, often carrying a dated or specific cultural connotation in English literature.
“In the old novel, the main character was a mysterious monsieur from Lyon.”
“The narrative describes a tall, elegant monsieur who frequented the café every afternoon without ever speaking to the other patrons.”
Archaic · Literary
Teaching tip
In modern English, this is rarely used as a general noun for 'man'; it is almost exclusively a title or used to set a specific French scene.
Real-World Examples
“He wears a billowing beige trenchcoat that makes him look as befuddled as Monsieur Hulot, the comical everyman in the films of Jacques Tati.” Etymology
From French monsieur. Doublet of monseigneur and monsignor.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/monsieur