france

IPA/frɑːns/
KK[frˈæns]IPA/fræns/

france — noun

1. Paris is the capital of this western European nation.

1.nounA1
Definition

Paris is the capital of this western European nation.

Example

Zayd chose France for his summer vacation because he wants to see the castles in the Loire Valley.

preposition: chose France for + purpose clause

Camila lived in the south of France for a year and loved its sunny weather.

fixed phrase: the south of France

Common collocations
  • live in France
  • move to France
  • return from France
  • the south of France
  • a map of France
  • visit France
Synonyms

Grammar Patterns

no article before 'France' in most contexts

Usage Note

As a country name, 'France' normally takes no article ('I live in France', not 'in the France'). The definite article appears only in set phrases such as 'the south of France' and 'the north of France', or when the name is modified by a pre-modifier ('the France of the 19th century').

Common Mistakes

I visited the France last year.
I visited France last year.
country names do not take 'the' except in special phrases.
She speaks France very well.
She speaks French very well.
'France' is the country name; 'French' is the language.
He is a France citizen.
He is a French citizen.
use the adjective 'French', not the noun 'France', before a noun.

2. the government, political system, or state institutions of the country of France

2.nounB1
Definition

the government, political system, or state institutions of the country of France — for example, when talking about elections, laws, or international agreements made by the country's leaders.

Example

France declared a state of emergency after the floods damaged hundreds of homes.

political entity + action verb: declared

The president of France visited Japan to discuss a new trade agreement.

the president of France (leadership title)

Common collocations
  • France declared
  • France announced
  • France passed a law
  • the president of France
  • modern France
  • France's economy
Synonyms
  • the French Republic

    the official constitutional name, very formal and legal

  • the French state

    focuses on the administrative and legal institutions, less common in everyday speech

  • Paris

    used metaphorically in news to mean the national government ('Paris announced...')

Grammar Patterns

often used as subject of political or institutional verbs

Usage Note

In news and political writing, 'France' can function as a collective noun for the government or the state, similar to 'Washington' for the US government. It takes a singular verb ('France has decided...', not 'France have decided...'). For the government specifically, 'the French government' is more precise.

Common Mistakes

France have decided to raise taxes.
France has decided to raise taxes.
treat country names as singular, even when they represent a group of people.
France government announced new rules.
The French government announced new rules.
use 'the French government', not 'France government'.

Word family

  • French
    adjectiveA1
  • French
    nounA1
  • Frenchman
    nounB1
  • Frenchwoman
    nounB1
  • Francophone
    adjectiveC1
  • Francophile
    nounC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four expressions refer to the same territory in western Europe, but they differ in formality and scope. 'France' is the everyday name used in travel, culture, and general conversation — it is the default word for the country. 'The French Republic' is the official constitutional name of the state; it appears in treaties, official documents, and formal news broadcasts, and carries a political rather than a geographical tone. 'Mainland France' and 'Metropolitan France' both mean the European part of the country, excluding overseas territories such as Martinique, Guadeloupe, and Réunion. 'Mainland France' is the more common term in everyday travel contexts ('I flew to mainland France and then took the train to Nice'), while 'Metropolitan France' is a formal administrative label used in census data and government statistics. A learner travelling to Europe will most often need just 'France'; only political or legal study requires 'the French Republic'.

France ↗the French Republicmainland FranceMetropolitan France

Common collocations

Nouns

  • the government of France
  • the president of France
  • the history of France
  • the border of France
  • the south of France

Phrases

  • live in France
  • move to France
  • travel to France
  • visit France
  • leave France
  • return from France

Prepositions

  • in France
  • to France
  • from France
  • of France
  • throughout France

Etymology

GermanicLatinOld FrenchEnglish

The name 'France' comes from the Latin word 'Francia', meaning 'land of the Franks'. The Franks were a Germanic tribe that settled in Gaul (modern-day France and western Germany) after the fall of the Roman Empire. The name of the tribe itself may come from an old Germanic word meaning 'bold' or 'free'. Over many centuries, 'Francia' evolved through Old French into the modern English name 'France'.