prêter

Inherited from Middle French preter, prester, from Old French prester, from Latin praestāre. Cognate with Italian prestare, Norman prêter, Portuguese prestar, Romanian presta, Spanish prestar.

• IPA^(key): /pʁɛ.te/ ~ /pʁe.te/

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prêter

1. (transitive) to lend [with à ‘to someone’]

   Coordinate term: emprunter (“to borrow”)

   J’ai prêté ma télévision à Paul. ― I lent my television to Paul.

2. (transitive) to attribute [with à ‘to someone/something’]

   Elle lui prête des qualités qu’il n’a pas. ― She attributes qualities to him that he lacks.

3. (pronominal) to lend itself to [with à ‘something’]
4. (pronominal) to go along with [with à ‘someone/something’]

   Il ne voulait pas se prêter à leurs manœuvres. ― He didn't want to go along (or have anything to do) with their schemes.

5. (Louisiana) to borrow
6. (transitive) to provide, to give

   Il semblait n’y prêter aucune attention ― He seemed not to give it any attention.

• emprunter

• “prêter”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

• prêtre

From Old French prester, from Latin praestō, praestāre.

prêter (gerund prêt'tie)

1. (Jersey, transitive) to lend

• emprunter (“to borrow”)

• prêteux (“lender”)