Skip to content

originalité

originality

noun oh-ree-zhee-nah-lee-TEH Rare
Mind & Emotions Values

Usage Note

Originalité denotes the quality of being novel, fresh, or unconventional. The adjective original (m) / originale (f) means 'original' or, informally, 'eccentric'. A related false-friend trap: original in French can describe a person as 'quirky' — not always a compliment.

Examples

"Son style est d'une grande originalité."

Natural Translation

Her style has great originality.

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