French word

abbé

Pronunciation

IPA/abe/

Meaning

  • masculine nounabbot

Example

L'abbé a béni le mariage.

The abbot blessed the marriage.

Illustration for abbé (abbot)

More examples

Monsieur l'abbé a salué les visiteurs.

Father Abbot greeted the visitors.

Core concept

An abbey's male superior, or a priest formally called by this title.

Common phrases

  • Monsieur l'abbé

    Father Abbot

  • dire bonjour à l'abbé

    say hello to the abbot

Similar words

prêtre: A church cleric who offers prayers and blessings to worshippers.
curé: A priest who oversees a town church and its regular worship and community events.

Definition in French

Désigne le supérieur d'une abbaye; parfois employé comme titre honorifique pour certains prêtres.

Word origin

The word abbé is a French borrowing from Latin abbas, whose older source is the Aramaic term abba, 'father', via Greek.

Usage tips

  • The final é in abbé is pronounced like the vowel in French clé, so the word does not end with a silent consonant.

Other meanings

  • priestnoun
  • clergymannoun

Opposites

  • laïclaypersonnoun

Word lists with this word