proviseur
headmaster, principal (of a lycée)
noun proh-vee-ZUR Rare
Origin: Latin 'provisor' (one who provides/foresees)
Usage Note
Proviseur is the specific title for the head of a French lycée (upper secondary school, ages 15–18). For a collège (middle school) the equivalent title is principal. The feminine form is proviseure, a spelling now widely used. The role includes both administrative and disciplinary authority.
Examples
"Le proviseur a convoqué les parents d'élèves ce matin."
Natural Translation
The headmaster called in the parents this morning.

Free starter pack
Building your French vocabulary?
Get the 100 most common French words as a free PDF — one email, no spam.
Related Words
Explore French by topic
FrenchNow
7 min read