French Conversation · Level 96
60 words
French word
méconnaître
Pronunciation
IPA/mekonɛtʁ/
Meaning
- verbfail to recognize
Example
Tu méconnais souvent mon travail.
You often fail to recognize my work.
More examples
Ils méconnaissent souvent leurs torts.
They frequently fail to acknowledge their faults.
Core concept
A valid person, fact, or right is pushed aside as if it does not count.
Common phrases
méconnaître les faits
fail to acknowledge the facts
méconnaître ses torts
fail to acknowledge one's faults
Similar words
ignorer: To be unaware that something exists or is true.
nier: To deny that something exists or that a fact is true.
négliger: To fail to give something the attention or care it needs.
sous-estimer: To judge someone's value or ability as lower than it really is.
Definition in French
Refuser d'admettre l'existence, la légitimité ou les droits de quelqu'un ou de quelque chose.
Word origin
French méconnaître combines the negative prefix mé- with connaître, from Old French mesconnoistre and ultimately Latin cognoscere, expressing failure to acknowledge.
Usage tips
- Méconnaître often appears in formal phrases such as méconnaître un droit, while everyday speech often uses simpler wording.
Other meanings
- misunderstandverb
- underestimateverb
Opposites
- reconnaîtreacknowledgeverb
- admettreconcedeverb
Related words
- méconnuunderappreciatedadjective
- méconnaissanceignorancenoun