French word

étrangeté

Pronunciation

IPA/etʁɑ̃ʒəte/

Meaning

  • feminine nounstrangeness

Example

J'ai remarqué l'étrangeté de son comportement.

I noticed the strangeness of his behavior.

Illustration for étrangeté (strangeness)

More examples

On a relevé une étrangeté dans les archives.

An oddity was noted in the archives.

Core concept

A normal pattern interrupted by a baffling detail that feels both unusual and difficult to explain.

Common phrases

  • l'étrangeté de

    the oddness of

Similar words

bizarrerie: An odd detail or action that seems strange.
excentricité: Distinctive behavior or character that departs from accepted conventions.
particularité: A prominent feature or mildly unusual quality.

Definition in French

Caractère ou impression de ce qui sort de l'ordinaire et paraît bizarre ou incompréhensible.

Word origin

French derives "étrangeté" from "étrange" by adding the noun-forming suffix "-eté", and "étrange" ultimately comes from Latin "extraneus" through Old French.

Usage tips

  • The noun "étrangeté" is more common in formal, written, or analytical contexts than in everyday conversation, where "bizarre" or "c'est étrange" often fits better.

Other meanings

  • odditynoun

Opposites

  • normaliténormalitynoun
  • familiaritéfamiliaritynoun

Related words

Word lists with this word