recherché
/ʁə.ʃɛʁ.ʃe/
The English word "wanted" is translated into French as recherché.
In a law enforcement context, recherché means someone is wanted or being hunted. While it can also be used in a sophisticated sense to describe something that is desired or a sought-after style, it is most commonly encountered when discussing suspects or people being tracked by the police.
Meaning: desired (adj)
What does it mean word for word?
The word comes from the verb rechercher, which means to search for or to seek. Therefore, recherché literally translates to being sought after or searched for.
How does it change in a sentence?
As an adjective, recherché must agree in gender and number with the person or group it describes. Use recherchée for a female subject, recherchés for a group of men or a mixed-gender group and recherchées for a group consisting only of women.
How do you pronounce it?
The word consists of 3 syllables and is pronounced /ʁə.ʃɛʁ.ʃe/.
Did you know?
- While recherché means 'wanted', a person who is actively evading the police is described as being en cavale. This term stems from the word for 'gallop' and evokes the image of a fugitive fleeing on horseback.
- If you describe a person's style as recherché, you are not complimenting their popularity, but rather suggesting their taste is overly complex, artificial, or even pretentious.
- A 'wanted poster' is called an avis de recherche, which literally translates to a 'notice of research'. This shifts the focus from the person being wanted to the act of investigating.
Examples in context
- Tu es recherché par la police.You're wanted by the police.This sentence shows how to use recherché when someone is wanted by the police.Tatoeba #5579284 by Aiji, translation #2643414 by CK
- Il est recherché par Interpol.He's wanted by Interpol.This sentence illustrates the use of recherché regarding Interpol.Tatoeba #10510425 by pkill, translation #13080756 by rul
- Pourquoi sont-ils recherchés ?What are they wanted for?This sentence demonstrates the plural use of the word to ask why multiple people are wanted.Tatoeba #11798423 by lbdx, translation #5744185 by CM
- Le criminel est recherché par la policeThe criminal is wanted by the police
- On te cherche partoutWe're looking for you everywhere
- L'avis de recherche a été publié pour le criminel recherchéThe wanted poster has been issued for the wanted criminal
- 6 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Gabriel is looking for a rare book in a shop.
- EmmaCe livre ancien est très recherché.This old book is highly sought-after.
- GabrielC'est vrai, il est très difficile à trouver.It's true, it is very hard to find.
- EmmaEst-ce que tu le veux, Gabriel ?Do you want it, Gabriel?
- GabrielOui, je le cherche depuis longtemps.Yes, I have been looking for it for a long time.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry recherché, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
