From bouiner to banger: 150 ‘new’ words added to French dictionary

A total of 150 words will be added to the 2027 edition of French dictionary Le Petit Robert, reflecting trending terms over recent years. 

The first edition of this dictionary dates back to 1967, meaning that the latest release - on sale today (May 13) - marks its 60th anniversary. 

Terms included in the dictionary “reflect the language of yesterday and today,” states Le Robert, featuring 300,000 words and meanings, 150,000 synonyms and antonyms, 75,000 etymologies and 35,000 literary quotations.

Three major criteria are used to gauge whether a word is ‘established’ in the French language: 

• Frequency of use - assessed by statistical textual analysis,

• Diffusion - often used by the press, in literature and/or on social media,

• Endurance - observed over several years to decide whether a word is consistently used, or if it is important for understanding a moment in time.

New entries are added each year and therefore often reflect recent societal, technological and environmental changes.

Do you know the meaning of these ‘new’ French words?

A preview of the new terms, as reported by Franceinfo and Le Parisien, are:

Aquafaba - Liquid found in cans of cooked legumes, most commonly chickpeas. It is often used as an egg replacement due to its thick, sticky consistency.

Aide à mourir (Assisted dying) - A tightly regulated end-of-life process for patients who meet specific medical and legal criteria.

Assertivité (Assertiveness) - the ability to assert oneself whilst respecting others.

Bibimbap - A Korean rice dish usually mixed with meat, vegetables and a spicy gochujang red pepper paste sauce. 

Bouiner (Potter about) - To spend time on vague or unproductive activities.

Charo (Womaniser) - To describe a man in search of numerous romantic encounters.

Découvrabilité (Discoverability) - The extent to which something can be easily found during a search, usually in an online context.

Équithérapie (Hippotherapy or Equine-assisted therapy) - A form of psychological treatment involving horses, designed to support a person’s mental and physical well-being.

Incel - A term used to describe the online masculinist subculture of single men who claim to be rejected by women.

Instavidéaste (Streamer) - A person who streams live videos on the internet.

Manosphère (Manosphere) - A collection of online communities where men promote masculinity and misogyny, and see feminism as a threat. 

Marrainer (To sponsor) - The feminine form of parrainer, meaning to offer support to a project or cause.

Matrixer - Inspired by the film The Matrix, meaning to manipulate someone to the point of compromising their free will.

Narchomicide - A blend of the words 'narcotraffic’ and ‘homicide’. 

Onigiri - A Japanese rice ball usually formed into triangular or cylindrical shapes, and wrapped in seaweed.

Pistole - A flat, round or oval chocolate disc used in baking.

Pornodivulgation (Revenge porn) - Sexually explicit content shared online without the consent of those concerned, in an attempt to get revenge. 

Prompter - A verb to describe sending an instruction to a generative AI algorithm to obtain a specific response, from the English ‘prompt’. 

Anglicisms

Some English words also appear on the list due to their rise in popularity, often perpetuated online, then adopted by French speakers. 

The term ‘fast fashion’ is one of these examples.

“Unfortunately, it is unavoidable,” said Géraldine Moinard, Le Robert editorial director, during a Franceinfo interview. 

“It is an English term that has still become established [in France] despite the term ‘mode éphémère’ somewhat competing with the Anglicism ‘fast fashion’,” she added.

Other English words in the 2027 edition of Le Petit Robert include:

Banger - A noun used particularly by younger generations to deem something that is of high quality or especially impressive.

Crush - A romantic attraction to someone.