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militaire

Etymology and origin of the French word militaire

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Confidence
Established
Formation
Borrowing
First attested
1352–56, Pierre Bersuire, translation of Livy
Borrowed from
Latin militaris
Ultimate origin
Latin (mīles)
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Latin miles
Latin militaris
English military
French militaire
Latin militariter
Latin militarius

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /mi.li.tɛʁ/[1]

Forms

militaire (plural militaires)[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin mīlitāris (“of war, of soldiers; military”), from mīles (“soldier”) (see milice).[2][3][4][5]

Earliest recorded meaning

Pierre Bersuire's translation of Livy (1352–56) speaks of tribuns militaires, military tribunes, in the sense “belonging to the army”.[2][6]

Semantic evolution

From 1508 it meant what is proper to the army (militaire discipline), whence art militaire (Richelet, 1680), justice militaire (Académie, 1694) and service militaire (Condorcet, 1794).[2][3] From the mid-18th century it qualified what is built or organized for the army: route militaire (1765), école militaire (1790), musique militaire (1801); in 1743 it also meant based on armed force.[2][3]

As a noun it named a soldier from the 17th century (Bossuet, 1663; the DHLF dates it 1658), and le militaire collectively the military, the army as a profession (Rousseau, 1755).[2][3][7] The learned derivatives militarisme (1815) and militariser (1843) were formed in the 19th century.[3]

Timeline

  • 1352–56 – Tribuns militaires, Bersuire.[2]
  • 1508 – Militaire discipline.[2]
  • 1663 – Noun “soldier”, Bossuet.[2]
  • 1743 – “Based on armed force”.[2]
  • 1755 – Le militaire “the army”, Rousseau.[2]
  • 1794 – Service militaire, Condorcet.[2]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. military: of the armed forces or of war: l'art militaire, le service militaire, une opération militaire.[8][1]
  2. Characteristic of soldiers: à l'heure militaire, on the dot.[9]
  3. Based on armed force: un régime militaire.[2][8]

Noun

  1. A soldier, a member of the armed forces: un militaire de carrière.[8][1]
  2. (literary) Le militaire: the military, the army.[3][2]

Word family

  • militairement
  • militarisme
  • militariste
  • militariser
  • démilitariser
  • paramilitaire

References

  1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Trésor de la langue française informatisé (2004), ATILF – CNRS & Université de Lorraine, atilf.fr/tlfi; electronic version of Imbs, Paul; Quemada, Bernard, eds. (1971–1994), Trésor de la langue française, Paris: CNRS / Gallimard
  3. ^ a b c d e f Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  5. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 6/2, 81b
  6. ^ Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  7. ^ Quemada, Bernard, ed. (1959–2006), Datations et documents lexicographiques (Base historique du vocabulaire français, BHVF), Paris: Klincksieck / CNRS / Champion; ATILF
  8. ^ a b c Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  9. ^ Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse

Related etymologies

Cite this entry

“Militaire.” Etymologically, 18 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/militaire. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

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