Which to use
“définitif” and “définitive” are a confusable French pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #7,309
- “définitif” frequency rank
- #5,861
- “définitive” frequency rank
- 13170
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | définitif | définitive |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Qui est réglé, fixé de manière qu’on n’y devra plus revenir. | Féminin singulier de définitif. |
Where the eye mixes définitif and définitive
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 8 letters in sequence.
Why the eye confuses définitif with définitive
A purely visual mix-up. définitif (\de.fi.ni.tif\) and définitive (\de.fi.ni.tiv\) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they differ by 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 13170, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
définitif is recorded at frequency rank #7,309, classified as anadj, pronounced \de.fi.ni.tif\. définitive is at rank #5,861, tagged as anadj, pronounced \de.fi.ni.tiv\.
Glosses for this pair are partially populated in our dataset, but the full side-by-side definitions above should still guide you to the right choice.
With a confusion score of 13170, this pair ranks #402,136 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of définitif vs définitive
Shared letters: dfinté. Private to "définitif": -. Private to "définitive": ev.
"définitif" · 9 letters · shape CVCVCVCVC · "définitive" · 10 letters · shape CVCVCVCVCV
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "définitif" and "définitive" mean the same thing in a sentence?
In ordinary French text, does "définitif" or "définitive" show up more?
What to do next
Eye-level mix-up between "définitif" and "définitive" is sorted above. Next: full entries or other pairs that share a letter shape.
- Full dictionary entry for "définitif" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "définitive" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #402,136 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "définitif" and "définitive" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "définitive vs définitives". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #402,136 of 440,172 scored French pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.