Question #6229   Submitted by Answiki on 06/08/2022 at 05:49:15 PM UTC

In French, what is the feminine of maire (mayor)?

Answer   Submitted by Answiki on 06/08/2022 at 05:58:10 PM UTC

According to the French Academy (Académie française), maire is a masculine noun that designates the function :


  • It should be written:

Madame le maire


  • One should not use :

Madame la maire

la mairesse


However, there are militant actions for the feminization of the word maire, mainly motivated by a concern for equality between men and women:


La mairesse: if it is sometimes used to refer to a woman who holds the office of mayor, historically, the mairesse was the wife of the mayor. Today the word mairesse appears in some dictionaries with two definitions:

  • the mayor's wife (old)
  • woman holding the office of mayor (rare)


La maire: some dictionaries, notably the Petit and Grand Robert, now consider that the word maire is an epicene noun that can be used in both masculine and feminine forms. The Académie française specifies that the word maire designates the function and not the person. We will say "le maire" when talking about a woman, just as - conversely - we will use the feminine name "une vedette", even if it is a man.


When we look at usage, we see that the feminization of the word mayor remains very marginal. When writing a letter, an official document or in a formal setting it is therefore appropriate to use:


Madame le maire.

3 events in history
Answer by Answiki on 06/08/2022 at 05:58:10 PM

According to the French Academy (Académie française), maire is a masculine noun that designates the function :


  • It should be written:

Madame le maire


  • One should not use :

Madame la maire

la mairesse


However, there are militant actions for the feminization of the word maire, mainly motivated by a concern for equality between men and women:


La mairesse: if it is sometimes used to refer to a woman who holds the office of mayor, historically, the mairesse was the wife of the mayor. Today the word mairesse appears in some dictionaries with two definitions:

  • the mayor's wife (old)
  • woman holding the office of mayor (rare)


La maire: some dictionaries, notably the Petit and Grand Robert, now consider that the word maire is an epicene noun that can be used in both masculine and feminine forms. The Académie française specifies that the word maire designates the function and not the person. We will say "le maire" when talking about a woman, just as - conversely - we will use the feminine name "une vedette", even if it is a man.


When we look at usage, we see that the feminization of the word mayor remains very marginal. When writing a letter, an official document or in a formal setting it is therefore appropriate to use:


Madame le maire.

Answer by Answiki on 06/08/2022 at 05:54:33 PM

According to the French Academy (Académie française), maire is a masculine noun that designates the function :


  • It should be written:

Madame le maire


  • One should not use :

Madame la maire

la mairesse


However, there are militant actions for the feminization of the word maire, mainly motivated by a concern for equality between men and women:


La mairesse: if it is sometimes used to refer to a woman who holds the office of mayor, historically, the mairesse was the wife of the mayor. Today the word mairesse appears in some dictionaries with two definitions:

  • the mayor's wife (old)
  • woman holding the office of mayor (rare)


La maire: some dictionaries, notably the Petit and Grand Robert, now consider that the word maire is an epicene noun that can be used in both masculine and feminine forms. The Académie française specifies that the word maire designates the function and not the person. We will say "le maire" when talking about a woman, just as - conversely - we will use the feminine name "une vedette", even if it is a man.


When we look at usage, we see that the feminization of the word mayor remains very marginal. When writing a letter, an official document or in a formal setting it is therefore appropriate to use:


Madame le maire.

Question by Answiki 06/08/2022 at 05:49:15 PM
In French, what is the feminine of maire (mayor)?
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