malgré

See also: malgre

French

Etymology

Inherited from Middle French maugré (literally “bad will”), with etymological restoration of the l, from Old French malgré, from mal + gré. Cognate with Italian malgrado and Catalan malgrat.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /mal.ɡʁe/

• Audio:

  (file)

Preposition

malgré

1. despite, in spite of
   • 2018, Zaz, Résigne-moi:

     Je laisse aller ce que j’ai tant aimé, malgré mon cœur qui cogne et s’ouvrait.

     I let go that which I loved so much, despite my heart which knocks and opens.

   • 2014, Indila, Comme un bateau:

     Maman dit que malgré les épreuves il faut continuer à sourire.

     Mum says that despite the trials we must continue to smile.

2. (with a pronoun) against (one's) will, despite (one's) protest

Derived terms

• malgré que
• malgré tout
• malgré-nous

Further reading

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

Old French

Etymology

Compound of mal (“bad”) +‎ gré (“will”).

Noun

malgré oblique singular, f (oblique plural malgrez, nominative singular malgré, nominative plural malgrez)

1. ill-will

Preposition

malgré

1. despite; in spite of

Descendants

• Middle French: maugré
  • French: malgré
• Anglo-Norman: malgré
  • → English: maugre

References

• malgré on the Anglo-Norman On-Line Hub