What does noblesse in French mean?

What is the meaning of the word noblesse in French? The article explains the full meaning, pronunciation along with bilingual examples and instructions on how to use noblesse in French.

The word noblesse in French means nobility, gentry, nobility, grandeur, nobility, dignity, greatness, win your spurs, earn your stripes, Nobles of the Robe, Nobles of the Gown, noblesse oblige, lower nobility, minor nobility, achieve recognition, lend cachet to, title. To learn more, please see the details below.

Listen to pronunciation

Meaning of the word noblesse

nobility, gentry

nom féminin (aristocratie)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)
Les barons et les marquis forment la petite noblesse.
Barons and marquises make up the lower gentry.

nobility, grandeur

nom féminin (figuré (élégance, majesté)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)
La noblesse de son allure force le respect au premier regard.
The nobility of his appearance commands respect at first sight.

nobility, dignity, greatness

nom féminin (figuré (grandeur d'âme)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)
Elle a montré beaucoup de noblesse en renonçant à sa part d'héritage.
She showed great dignity in giving up her share of the inheritance.

win your spurs, earn your stripes

locution verbale (construire une réputation) (figurative)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")
Ce restaurateur jusqu'alors inconnu acquit ses lettres de noblesse en remportant une étoile au Michelin.

Nobles of the Robe, Nobles of the Gown

nom féminin (noblesse achetée)

En France, sous l'Ancien Régime, la noblesse de robe rassemblait tous les nobles qui occupaient des fonctions de gouvernement, principalement dans la justice et les finances.

noblesse oblige

locution adverbiale (conformément à sa réputation) (Gallicism)

(expression: Prepositional phrase, adverbial phrase, or other phrase or expression--for example, "behind the times," "on your own.")

lower nobility, minor nobility

nom féminin (noblesse provinciale ou de robe)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)
La petite noblesse était parfois aussi misérable que le peuple.

achieve recognition

locution verbale (figuré (recevoir une reconnaissance)

lend cachet to

locution verbale (attribuer ses mérites à)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")

title

nom masculin (statut social) (nobility)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)
Le titre de noblesse de son ancêtre s'est perdu avec la Révolution.

Let's learn French

So now that you know more about the meaning of noblesse in French, you can learn how to use them through selected examples and how to read them. And remember to learn the related words that we suggest. Our website is constantly updating with new words and new examples so you can look up the meanings of other words you don't know in French.

Do you know about French

French (le français) is a Romance language. Like Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish, it comes from popular Latin, once used in the Roman Empire. A French-speaking person or country can be called a "Francophone". French is the official language in 29 countries. French is the fourth most spoken native language in the European Union. French ranks third in the EU, after English and German, and is the second most widely taught language after English. The majority of the world's French-speaking population lives in Africa, with about 141 million Africans from 34 countries and territories who can speak French as a first or second language. French is the second most widely spoken language in Canada, after English, and both are official languages at the federal level. It is the first language of 9.5 million people or 29% and the second language of 2.07 million people or 6% of the entire population of Canada. In contrast to other continents, French has no popularity in Asia. Currently, no country in Asia recognizes French as an official language.