French Conversation · Level 191
16 words
French word
dépens
Pronunciation
IPA/depɑ̃/
Meaning
- masculine nounlegal costs
Example
Il a perdu le procès et devra payer les dépens.
He lost the lawsuit and will have to pay the legal costs.
More examples
L'assurance refuse de couvrir les dépens.
The insurer refuses to cover the court costs.
Core concept
The bundle of recoverable expenses attached to a lawsuit, settled against one party when the case ends.
Similar words
frais: The cost of carrying out an action or obtaining a service.
dépense: An amount paid to buy a good or service.
frais de justice: Various costs directly related to a trial or other court proceeding.
Definition in French
Toujours employé au pluriel, indique les frais judiciaires qu'une partie peut devoir payer après un procès.
Word origin
The French legal term dépens developed from Old French despens, related to Latin dispensare for spending or distributing, and retained a fixed plural form.
Usage tips
- Les dépens do not mean every legal expense, since lawyer fees are commonly treated separately as honoraires d'avocat.