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enlèvement

kidnapping

noun ahn-lev-MAHN Rare

Also means

removal

Usage Note

Enlèvement derives from enlever ('to lift off, to take away') and covers both the criminal act of kidnapping and the official removal of objects (e.g. waste collection: enlèvement des ordures). The kidnapping sense dominates in news contexts, while the removal sense appears in administrative language.

Examples

"L'enlèvement de l'enfant a choqué le quartier."

Natural Translation

The kidnapping of the child shocked the neighbourhood.

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