révérend
/ʁe.ve.ʁɑ̃/masculine
The English word "reverend" is translated into French as révérend.
révérend is a noun used to refer to a member of the Christian clergy. In formal Protestant contexts, the term Pasteur is also used to mean "pastor".
Meaning: member of the Christian clergy (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
The word has three syllables and is pronounced /ʁe.ve.ʁɑ̃/.
Did you know?
- In France, the term révérend is rarely used for Catholic priests, who are instead addressed as monsieur le curé or simply père.
- Because of France's strict policy of 'laïcité' or state secularism, religious titles like révérend are almost never used in official government or public administrative contexts.
- The Latin root of révérend implies a sense of 'must be' or 'duty', suggesting that the person is not just worthy of respect, but that respect is a requirement.
Examples in context
- Par le calice de Jésus, révérend ermite, quelle est cette liqueur infernale ?By the chalice of Jesus, Reverend hermit, what is this infernal liquor?This example shows how to address a hermit using the form révérend.Tatoeba #3212430 by Scott, translation #3381899 by Scott
- Bonsoir, PasteurGood evening, Reverend
Example conversation
Emma is introducing Nathan to a local priest.
- EmmaNathan, je vous présente le révérend Martin.Nathan, I introduce you to Reverend Martin.
- NathanEnchanté de faire votre connaissance, révérend.Nice to meet you, reverend.
- EmmaIl dirige la petite paroisse du village.He leads the small village parish.
- NathanC'est très impressionnant.That is very impressive.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “reverend” translations and entries révérend, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries révérend, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
