French Riviera
4
3.3
- proper noun
:
Riviera Francesa
- A couple of tycoons have been exiled as far away as London or the French Riviera.
Examples
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The French Riviera is famous for its luxurious resorts and picturesque landscapes.
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The winner of this prize will travel by Eurostar train to Paris, then catch the fast train south before spending the week on the beaches of the French Riviera.
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But now after coming here, seeing the French Riviera and Monaco, I would highly recommend it.
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This is a novel set in the French Riviera and then basically in in various civilian and very luxurious settings.
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Every inch of the French Riviera is carpeted with people.
Fiction book (1996) -
Just 0.7 square miles, the tiny state of Monaco is located along the French Riviera near Nice.
Blog text (28) -
And then Robin wouldn't be able to come because she, her husband, and their three stunning children would be vacationing on the French Riviera.
Fiction book (1996) -
Princess Jackie called Robert and Margo one Saturday night from her place in Cagnes on the French Riviera.
Fiction book (1991) -
We had ten whole days to travel anywhere our hearts desired in Europe, and my friends and I headed off to the French Riviera, Paris, and Interlaken.
Blog text (31) -
I believe in daring to live the life you dream of living, and so I quit my job to blog, soak up the sun, and parler français on the French Riviera.
Blog text (20)
Synonyms
26
5.7
A Mediterranean coastal area between Italy and France with sunny resorts
1
6.5
A warm Mediterranean coast in southeastern France with beaches and towns like Nice and Cannes
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase is directly compositional: the adjective 'French' specifies which 'Riviera' is meant, so a learner who knows both constituents will infer it refers to the Mediterranean coastal region in France. This adjectival + place-name pattern is cross-linguistically common and follows regular English composition, making the meaning predictable.
Etymology
French Riviera takes its name from Riviera, an Italian word meaning 'coast', because people used it for the sunny south of France. Wealthy visitors in the 1800s made the towns famous for beaches and luxury, so today French Riviera means that famous, sunny Mediterranean coast.