French word

chaire

Pronunciation

IPA/ʃɛʁ/

Meaning

  • feminine nounprofessorship

Example

Elle occupe la chaire de littérature depuis cinq ans.

She has held the professorship in literature for five years.

Illustration for chaire (professorship)

More examples

L'université inaugure une nouvelle chaire dédiée aux droits de l'homme.

The university inaugurates a new professorship dedicated to human rights.

Core concept

A raised seat that marks the holder's authority in a field, whether in a university or a pulpit.

Similar words

professeur: A teaching or research professional at a school or university.
poste: An assigned place in an organization for carrying out a particular role.
enseignant: A person whose work involves teaching in an educational setting.

Definition in French

Signifie une charge académique officielle conférant un statut et une responsabilité dans une discipline; le terme peut aussi désigner un siège utilisé pour prêcher.

Word origin

French chaire comes through Old French chaiere from Latin cathedra, a borrowing of Greek kathédra meaning a seat, and retains institutional and preaching senses.

Usage tips

  • Chaire is feminine, so the standard form is la chaire, and chaire de plus a discipline names the field attached to the post.

Other meanings

  • pulpitnoun

Word lists with this word