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gouvernante

housekeeper, governess

noun goo-ver-NAHNT Rare

Usage Note

Gouvernante historically meant a governess who supervised children's upbringing and education in wealthy households. In modern usage it more often refers to a housekeeper, particularly a head housekeeper in a hotel (gouvernante d'hôtel). The masculine counterpart gouvernant exists but is rare; the political noun les gouvernants means 'the rulers' or 'those in power.'

Examples

"La gouvernante supervise tout le personnel."

Natural Translation

The housekeeper supervises all the staff.

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