porte-à-faux

French

Etymology

Univerbation of porte à faux (third-person singular present indicative of porter à faux).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /pɔʁ.ta.fo/

Noun

porte-à-faux m (plural porte-à-faux)

1. unstable position
2. (figuratively) awkward situation, awkward position

   en porte-à-faux ― in an awkward position

   être en porte-à-faux ― to be in an awkward position

   mettre en porte-à-faux ― to put in an awkward position

3. (architecture) cantilever
4. (vehicles) overhang

Further reading

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