sans-dessein

\sɑ̃.dɛ.sɛ̃\

/\sɑ̃.dɛ.sɛ̃\/ adj

The verdict

“sans-dessein” is uncommon French (outside the top frequency list), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency French
12
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Qui n’est pas intelligent ou qui est maladroit, qui ne peut littéralement rien planifier.

Corpus desk

Index FR-sans-dessein · sans-dessein · French

sans-dessein · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-MEGA 12 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "S" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Key facts for sans-dessein
PropertyValue
Headwordsans-dessein
LanguageFrench
Part of speechAdjective
IPA\sɑ̃.dɛ.sɛ̃\
Letters12
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Longue queue: rang de « sans-dessein » en français

sans-desseinreste hors des 100.000 mots français les plus fréquents, dans la longue queue du vocabulaire technique, archaïque ou rare, là où le doute d'orthographe frappe.

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

Rare enough to double-check

sans-dessein is uncommon French outside the top frequency list, classed as anadjective, transcribed \sɑ̃.dɛ.sɛ̃\. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "Qui n’est pas intelligent ou qui est maladroit, qui ne peut littéralement rien planifier.".

sans-dessein has no tracked misspelling variants, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

This entry's etymology isn't recorded, so its spelling pattern is best understood through pronunciation rather than a traceable origin. The correct French form is sans-dessein, spelled S-A-N-S---D-E-S-S-E-I-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    Qui n’est pas intelligent ou qui est maladroit, qui ne peut littéralement rien planifier.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

These source excerpts show how sans-dessein appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. …a rajouté qu’étais sans dessein, qu’j’étais branleux, que j’savais rien…

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 "sans-dessein"?
"sans-dessein" is spelled S-A-N-S---D-E-S-S-E-I-N. The IPA pronunciation is \sɑ̃.dɛ.sɛ̃\.
What does "sans-dessein" mean?
As an adjective, "sans-dessein" means: Qui n’est pas intelligent ou qui est maladroit, qui ne peut littéralement rien planifier.
How do you pronounce "sans-dessein"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "sans-dessein" is \sɑ̃.dɛ.sɛ̃\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "sans-dessein" come from?
"sans-dessein" 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list