variole
/va.ʁjɔl/feminine
Smallpox in French is variole. Wiktionary also lists petite vérole.
Meaning: disease (noun)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| variole | /va.ʁjɔl/ | feminine |
| petite vérole | /pə.tit ve.ʁɔl/ | feminine |
The word refers to the disease smallpox.
Which one should you use?
While variole is the standard modern term, petite vérole is an archaic and historical way to refer to the disease.
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun variole is feminine and is almost always preceded by the definite article la when referring to the disease.
How do you pronounce it?
variole is pronounced /va.ʁjɔl/. It has 2 syllables.
Did you know?
- The term petite vérole was used to distinguish smallpox from grande vérole, which was the historical French term for syphilis.
- The word 'vérole' is also the root of the word 'véreux', which in English translates to 'unreliable' or 'crooked' when describing a person's character.
- The word variole shares a common root with the English word 'various', as both stem from the Latin 'varius', meaning 'diverse' or 'changing'.
Examples in context
- La variole était inconnue des Amérindiens.Smallpox was unknown to Native Americans.Tatoeba #986185 by sacredceltic, translation #805266 by Source_VOA
- De nos jours, tout le monde est immunisé contre la variole.Everybody is immune to smallpox nowadays.Tatoeba #11918930 by Rovo, translation #241685 by CK
- Le vaccin contre la variole a permis d'éradiquer la maladie dans de nombreux pays.The smallpox vaccine has managed to eradicate the disease in many countries.
- Avant l'invention du vaccin, la petite vérole était une maladie très contagieuse et mortelle.Before the invention of the vaccine, smallpox was a highly contagious and deadly disease.
- La variole a été éradiquée.Smallpox has been eradicated.
Example conversation
Emma and Lucas are studying medical history in a library.
- EmmaC'était quoi la variole exactement ?What exactly was smallpox?
- LucasC'était une maladie très grave et contagieuse.It was a very serious and contagious disease.
- EmmaEst-ce que la variole a disparu partout ?Has smallpox disappeared everywhere?
- LucasOui, elle a été éradiquée dans le monde entier.Yes, it was eradicated throughout the whole world.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “smallpox” translations and entries variole, petite vérole, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries variole, vérole, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
