entente cordiale
- noun
- /ɑːnˈtɑːnt kɔːrˈdiːəl/
:
entente cordiale
- The two countries signed an entente cordiale to strengthen their diplomatic ties.
Examples
-
The leaders reached an entente cordiale that would promote economic cooperation.
-
Their entente cordiale helped resolve the border disputes peacefully.
-
The entente cordiale.
Synonyms
1
8.9
An informal agreement between countries to work together
How Friendly
751
1.0
832
4.0
203
3.7
- Formal
∞
1.4
Surface Forms
Morphology
entente + cordiale
The phrase literally combines 'entente' (an agreement) with 'cordiale' (cordial/friendly), so the basic meaning 'friendly agreement' is compositionally derivable. However, because it is a fixed French loanphrase and 'cordiale' is not a standard English form, many B1 learners who only know English vocabulary may not recognise the components or the diplomatic nuance; cross-linguistic parallels help but the foreign form makes it only partially predictable.
Etymology
The phrase entente cordiale comes from French words entente (an 'agreement') and cordiale ('friendly'), so imagine two countries warmly shaking hands. That's why it means 'a friendly agreement or understanding between countries'.