French continues to evolve with the times. For its 60th anniversary, the Petit Robert unveils its 2027 edition and welcomes 150 new words, expressions and personalities reflecting the evolution of society, digital uses, contemporary debates… and the language of younger generations.
Among the new entries are terms now ubiquitous in public debate, such as "fast fashion," "manosphere," and "narcoticide." These are recent words, but sufficiently established in usage to be officially included in the renowned French dictionary.
Words born from the changes in society
For Géraldine Moinard, editor-in-chief of the Le Robert dictionaries, these new terms primarily reflect the realities of the contemporary world. "Words are also created to describe the world, to express our realities," she explained to franceinfo.
The word "manosphere," which refers to masculinist communities found particularly online, has thus entered the dictionary. The same is true for "pornographic disclosure," used to describe the non-consensual distribution of intimate content.
Among the most recent terms is also "narcicide," which appeared at the end of 2023 to designate murders linked to drug trafficking. This word has become popular in the context of the rise in drug-related violence, particularly in Marseille.
The dictionary also incorporates concepts related to technological transformations such as "proxy", "discoverability" or "instavideoist", referring to a person broadcasting live videos on the Internet.
“Youth slang” makes its entrance
As every year, Le Petit Robert also opens its pages to colloquial language and popular expressions used on social networks.
The word "banger," widely used among young people to describe something impressive or particularly successful, has officially joined the dictionary. Another notable entry is "charo," used to describe someone who has many romantic conquests.
The verb "matrixer," inspired by the film The Matrix, also appears in this new edition. It means to influence or condition someone to the point of altering their free will.
Even more unexpectedly, the verb "bouiner" makes its appearance. It refers to the act of spending one's time on vague activities without any real purpose.
Food, sports and public figures
The culinary lexicon is also enriched with words like "aquafaba", the cooking liquid of legumes used in vegetarian cuisine, or "bibimbap", a famous Korean dish made with rice, vegetables and marinated meat.
As every year, several personalities also join the pages of the dictionary. This 2027 edition notably welcomes Carlos Alcaraz, Pauline Ferrand-Prévot, Tadej Pogačar and Max Verstappen.
The new Pope Leo XIV and the French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu are also among the new proper names added to the dictionary.
The Petit Robert 2027 will be available from May 13, a few days before the release of the Petit Larousse 2027, scheduled for May 20.
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