🇫🇷French Source WordCode: FR

défaite

Pronunciation / Transliteration: /de.fɛt/

🇬🇧 Direct English Meaning:
Defeat/dɪˈfiːt/
verbnounCEFR B2 (Upper)Top #1450 frequency
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🇫🇷 Example Sentence in French:

"Cette défaite a été difficile à accepter pour l'équipe."

Comprehensive Definitions & Senses

2 senses
As verb
  1. 1

    To win against someone in a battle, game, or contest; to overcome or vanquish an opponent.

    "Our team managed to defeat the reigning champions in the final minutes of the game."
As noun
  1. 1

    An instance of being beaten in a battle, contest, or game; the failure to win or succeed.

    "The unexpected defeat left the players devastated and reflective."

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Antonyms & Contrasting Words (1)

Linguistic Origin & Historical Etymology

Derived from the Middle English word 'defeten', borrowed from Old French 'defait', the past participle of 'defaire' meaning 'to undo' or 'to destroy'. This ultimately traces back to the Vulgar Latin prefix 'dis-' combined with Latin 'facere' ('to do, make'), evolving from a sense of undoing an action to winning a victory over an opponent.

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