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. (ditransitive, with the indirect object taking à) to lend

   Coordinate term: emprunter (“to borrow”)

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

2. (ditransitive, with the indirect object taking à) to attribute

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

3. (takes a reflexive pronoun, transitive with à) to lend itself to
4. (takes a reflexive pronoun, transitive with à) to go along with

   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

• 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”)