principe actif

\pʁɛ̃.si.p‿ak.tif\

/\pʁɛ̃.si.p‿ak.tif\/ noun

The verdict

“principe actif” is outside the top-ranked French vocabulary, used as a noun - the kind of word writers most often double-check.

Unranked
below top-frequency French
14
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Substance qui dans un médicament possède un effet thérapeutique recherché et qui est présente la plupart du temps, en très faible proportion par rapport aux excipients.

Key facts for principe actif
PropertyValue
Headwordprincipe actif
LanguageFrench
Part of speechNoun
IPA\pʁɛ̃.si.p‿ak.tif\
Letters14
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “principe actif” sits in French frequency

principe actif falls outside the top-100,000 ranked French words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The French entry for principe actif is 14 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \pʁɛ̃.si.p‿ak.tif\. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "Substance qui dans un médicament possède un effet thérapeutique recherché et qui est présente la plupart du temps, en très faible proportion par rapport aux excipients.".

No generated misspelling entries exist for principe actif in our index, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Wiktionary doesn't record an etymology for this headword, so its spelling pattern is best understood through pronunciation rather than a traceable origin. The correct French form is principe actif, spelled P-R-I-N-C-I-P-E- -A-C-T-I-F.

Definition

  1. 1
    Substance qui dans un médicament possède un effet thérapeutique recherché et qui est présente la plupart du temps, en très faible proportion par rapport aux excipients.

This word in other languages

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "principe actif"?
"principe actif" is spelled P-R-I-N-C-I-P-E- -A-C-T-I-F. The IPA pronunciation is \pʁɛ̃.si.p‿ak.tif\.
What does "principe actif" mean?
As a noun, "principe actif" means: Substance qui dans un médicament possède un effet thérapeutique recherché et qui est présente la plupart du temps, en très faible proportion par rapport aux excipients.
How do you pronounce "principe actif"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "principe actif" is \pʁɛ̃.si.p‿ak.tif\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "principe actif" come from?
"principe actif" is a French word. PlainSpell's reference spans five languages -- English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German -- with definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for each.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “principe actif”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct French spelling is P-R-I-N-C-I-P-E- -A-C-T-I-F - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as \pʁɛ̃.si.p‿ak.tif\ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more French words and confusable pairs in the same reference. French words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list