French word

sceau

Pronunciation

IPA/so/

Meaning

  • masculine nounseal

Example

Le sceau est apposé sur le document.

The seal is affixed to the document.

Illustration for sceau (seal)

More examples

Le sceau officiel confirme l'authenticité du document.

The official seal confirms the authenticity of the document.

Core concept

A visible seal linking a document to its source while protecting it from being opened unnoticed.

Common phrases

  • sceau officiel

    official seal

  • sceau d'approbation

    seal of approval

Similar words

signature: A handwritten or electronic name added to a document to show approval or agreement.
tampon: An inked tool used to leave an imprint on paper during office processing.
cachet: A formal seal used by a public institution or company to show official status.
paraphe: Initials or a shortened signature written on each page to confirm it was checked.

Definition in French

Objet ou empreinte servant à authentifier, fermer ou garantir l'origine d'un document.

Word origin

Latin sigillum, meaning a small mark and derived from signum, passed into Old French as seel before becoming modern French sceau.

Usage tips

  • With apposer, sceau commonly takes sur: apposer un sceau sur un document.

Related words

  • scellersealverb
  • scellésealedadjective

Word lists with this word