What does crise mean?
"Crise" is the French word for a crisis: a decisive turning point marked by acute difficulty, danger, or instability. Although it is not a standard entry in most English dictionaries, it surfaces in English writing as an untranslated borrowing, lending a passage a distinctly French flavor or an air of continental sophistication. Writers may deploy it in literary fiction, memoir, or diplomatic commentary to signal that a situation has reached a critical juncture — the moment at which events can no longer continue on their previous course and must resolve one way or another. The word derives ultimately from the Greek "krisis," meaning decision or judgment, the same root that gave English both "crisis" and words like "critic" and "criterion." Because English already possesses "crisis," using "crise" is almost always a stylistic choice rather than a necessity; readers unfamiliar with French will nonetheless usually grasp its meaning instantly. Its connotations are serious and dramatic, suited to moments of reckoning rather than everyday inconvenience.
noun"Crise" is the French word for a crisis — a decisive or critical moment, especially one of difficulty or instability. It appears in English chiefly as an untranslated borrowing from French in literary, diplomatic, or stylistically French-inflected writing.
- A critical or decisive moment of difficulty or instability (the French equivalent of the English 'crisis'), used in English mainly as an untranslated borrowing.
"The novel's final chapter captures the crise that finally forces the family to confront its buried secrets."
"Diplomats warned that the negotiations had reached a genuine crise."
"In her memoir, she describes the crise of conscience that changed the course of her career."
The plural follows the same form as English "crisis" — "crises" (pronounced /ˈkraɪsiːz/ in English).
"The century was punctuated by successive crises, each more destabilizing than the last."
"Crise" is simply the French word for crisis — so when English writers reach for it, they're borrowing a little Parisian drama.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of crise
The word "crise" entered French from Latin "crisis," itself borrowed from Greek "krisis" (κρίσις), meaning a deciding moment or judgment, derived from the verb "krinein," to separate or decide. This Greek root also produced English "critical," "critic," "critique," and "criterion." In English texts, "crise" survives only as a direct borrowing from modern French, retaining its French spelling and pronunciation.
How crise is actually used
"Crise" is not an established English dictionary headword in most general dictionaries; it is understood by English readers mainly through its obvious kinship with "crisis." It carries a deliberately French or elevated tone and is best reserved for literary or stylistic contexts; in ordinary English prose, "crisis" is the natural choice.
Easily confused with crise
"Crisis" is the standard English noun; "crise" is the French equivalent, retained in English only as a stylistic borrowing.
"Crease" means a line or fold made by pressing or folding, whereas "crise" refers to a moment of crisis.