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recul

recoil, setback

noun ruh-KUL Rare
Mind & Emotions Mental States

Also means

hindsight, distance

Usage Note

Recul covers both physical recoil (of a weapon) and the figurative sense of stepping back to gain perspective, as in prendre du recul (to step back, to gain perspective). The phrase avec le recul means 'in hindsight' and is very common in spoken French.

Examples

"Il faut prendre du recul avant de décider."

Natural Translation

You need to step back before deciding.

Literal Translation

It is necessary to take some distance before deciding.

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