Skip to content

avarie

damage

noun ah-vah-REE Rare
Travel & Places Transportation

Origin: Italian avaria, from Arabic awariyya 'damaged goods'

Also means

breakdown

Usage Note

Avarie is primarily a nautical and insurance term for damage sustained by a ship or its cargo during a voyage. In everyday French it can also mean a mechanical breakdown, especially of a vehicle. The phrase en avarie means 'damaged' or 'out of order'.

Examples

"Le cargo a subi une avarie en pleine mer."

Natural Translation

The cargo ship suffered damage in the open sea.

Free starter pack

Building your French vocabulary?

Get the 100 most common French words as a free PDF — one email, no spam.

Explore French by topic