au nom de
/o nɔ̃ də/
The English phrase "in the name of" is translated into French as au nom de.
The phrase au nom de is used to denote acting by the authority of someone or something, such as a legal or official power. It can also be used to indicate that an action is being taken on behalf of a specific person or entity.
Meaning: by the authority of (prep)
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase uses the masculine singular contraction au (a combination of à and le) because the noun nom is masculine.
How do you pronounce it?
/o nɔ̃ də/
Did you know?
- The word nom is used in the French expression nom d'une pipe as a mild exclamation of surprise or annoyance, meaning 'name of a pipe'.
- While au nom de means 'in the name of', the similar phrase sous le nom de is used specifically when someone is using an alias or a pseudonym.
- The French word nom is a very distant cousin of the English word 'name'. Both can be traced back to the Proto-Indo-European root *h₁nómn̥.
Examples in context
- Au nom de Jésus-Christ, Amen.In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.This sentence shows how to use au nom de in a religious context.Tatoeba #8734286 by Julien_PDC, translation #8185371 by Hybrid
- Ils ont ouvert un compte au nom de leur fille.They opened an account in the name of their daughter.This sentence demonstrates using au nom de to indicate an account held on behalf of someone else.Tatoeba #2893419 by Amastan, translation #13306999 by rul
- Au nom de Dieu, le bienveillant, le miséricordieux.In the name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.This sentence shows the use of au nom de in a religious invocation.Tatoeba #538379 by sacredceltic, translation #536984 by blay_paul
- Au nom de la France, je vous souhaite la bienvenue.In the name of France, I welcome you.
- Au nom de la bande, je vous remercie d'être venus.In the name of the gang, I thank you for coming.
- 9 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Gabriel is serving a legal notice to Chloé.
- GabrielJe vous arrête au nom de la loi.I am arresting you in the name of the law.
- ChloéQu'est-ce que je vous ai fait, Gabriel ?What did I do to you, Gabriel?
- GabrielJe parle au nom de l'État aujourd'hui.I am speaking in the name of the state today.
- ChloéC'est complètement ridicule, Chloé s'en souvient.This is completely ridiculous, Chloé remembers it.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “in the name of” translations and entries au nom de, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries de, nom, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
