What does enfant mean?
'Enfant' is the French word for a child, and it entered English only as a borrowing that remains recognisably foreign. In modern usage it seldom stands alone; instead it appears in established French phrases adopted into English, above all 'enfant terrible' — literally a 'terrible child' — which describes a person, usually a gifted artist, writer, or public figure, who deliberately flouts convention and shocks or embarrasses their peers. The term often carries an undertone of admiration: the enfant terrible is troublesome but excitingly original. A rarer borrowing, 'enfant gâté' ('spoiled child'), conveys indulgence and petulance. Because the word retains its French pronunciation and flavour, it belongs to a formal, literary register rather than everyday speech. Its Latin ancestor, 'infāns', also gave English the native word 'infant', making the two etymological cousins despite their very different fates in the language.
nounA child; a young person. In English the word survives almost exclusively in borrowed French phrases, most famously 'enfant terrible', denoting a person whose unconventional behaviour embarrasses their group.
- A child or young person (used chiefly in borrowed French expressions).
"The young composer became known as the enfant terrible of the opera world."
"As the enfant terrible of British theatre, he delighted in scandalising critics."
"The novel portrays its heroine as an enfant of remarkable precocity."
Pluralised either as 'enfants' following French or left unchanged; both are rare outside fixed phrases.
"The school specialised in educating the enfants of diplomats."
In English you'll rarely meet 'enfant' on its own — it hides inside 'enfant terrible', the label for brilliant troublemakers who shock everyone around them.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of enfant
'Enfant' comes from Old French 'enfant', from Latin 'infāns', meaning 'a young child', literally one 'not speaking' (from 'in-' not + 'fārī' to speak). The same Latin root passed into English directly as 'infant', making the two true doublets. English borrowed 'enfant' in set phrases from French, with 'enfant terrible' attested from the nineteenth century.
How enfant is actually used
Almost never used as a standalone English word; it appears almost entirely within fixed French borrowings such as 'enfant terrible'. It carries a literary or ironic tone.
Easily confused with enfant
'Infant' is the fully naturalised English word for a very young child or baby, whereas 'enfant' is a French borrowing used mainly within fixed French phrases.