French honorifics

French honorifics are based on the wide use of for women and for men.

Social

(abbreviated ; plural , ) for a man.
(; plural , ) for a woman.
(; plural , ) is a traditional alternative for an unmarried woman.

Usage of varies based on regions and ideology. In Canada and Switzerland, public administrations have been banned from using this title for a long time. France has taken this step in 2012. In Belgium, its use is not recommended, but not forbidden either.

In France, calling a young woman is usually considered more polite, and calling a middle-aged woman can be a way to tell her that she looks like she is in her twenties and may therefore be considered flattering.

Professional

() is used for medical practitioners, while is used for professors and teachers. The holders of a doctorate other than medical are generally not referred to as , though they have the legal right to use the title; professors in academia use the style rather than the honorific plain .
() is used for law professions such as solicitors and notaries).
Judges are called or ( is sometimes preferred in France) if they preside over a court of justice, or and ( is sometimes preferred in France and in Canada) otherwise.

Any other honorific is usually created by using or and then adding a title. For instance, or .

Religious

Catholic clergy use several specific honorifics.

, : Cardinals.
, : Bishops, archbishops.
, : priests.
, /: Benedictine monks.
, : abbots and some other regular clergy.
, : regular clergy unless style with (the usage changes a lot according to orders and congregations).
, : abbesses.
, : nuns.

The clergy of other faiths use the honorifics or , such as or .

Nobility and royalty

Kings of France used the honorific ; princes ; and queens and princesses were plain .

Nobles of the rank of duke used or , non-royal princes used or (without the or ), other noblemen and . Only servants ever addressed their employer as (count) or (baroness).

References