arrondissement
|ar-ron-dis-se-ment|
🇺🇸
/əˌrɑːndɪsˈmɑ̃/
🇬🇧
/əˌrɒndɪsˈmɒ̃/
rounded-off division
Etymology
'arrondissement' originates from French, specifically the word 'arrondissement', where the verb 'arrondir' (from prefix 'a-' + 'rond') meant 'to make round'.
'arrondissement' changed from Old French elements: from 'arrondir' (Old French), which comes from Vulgar Latin based on Latin 'rotundus'/'rotundare', and eventually entered modern French as 'arrondissement' and then English as the loanword 'arrondissement'.
Initially it related to the act or result of 'rounding' ('making round'), but over time the term evolved to denote a 'rounded-off area' and then an 'administrative district' in modern usage.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
an administrative district or borough within certain French cities (notably Paris) or within French administrative organization.
Paris is divided into 20 arrondissements.
Synonyms
Noun 2
a similar administrative subdivision used in some other French-speaking countries or regions (e.g., parts of Belgium, Haiti), or in historical administrative contexts.
The department was further divided into several arrondissements.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/10/20 04:00