rendre compte

Hello, you have come here looking for the meaning of the word rendre compte. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word rendre compte, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say rendre compte in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word rendre compte you have here. The definition of the word rendre compte will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition ofrendre compte, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.

French

Etymology

Compare Italian rendere conto, Italian rendersi conto (reflexive).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ʁɑ̃.dʁə kɔ̃t/
  • Audio; se rendre compte:(file)
  • Audio (Lyon):(file)
  • Audio (Lyon); se rendre compte:(file)

Verb

rendre compte

  1. to account for, to explain
    Synonym: rendre raison
    Cette théorie n’a pas pu rendre compte de tous les phénomènes observés ; elle doit donc être abandonnée.
    This theory hasn't been able to account for all the observed phenomena; it should therefore be abandoned.
    • 2009, Christian Lallier, Pour une anthropologie filmée des interactions sociales, page 36:
      De même, si l’observateur-filmant représente sans aucun doute un acteur social de la situation observée – assujetti en cela aux mêmes règles de civilité que les autres individus – il n’est pas un acteur social comme les autres interactants, mais interagit en tant qu’observateur : cette qualification (socialement reconnue par les autres membres du groupe) lui attribue une distinction par laquelle il peut rendre compte de ce qui se passe, sans y être pour autant associeé.
      Likewise, though the observer-filmer undoubtedly constitutes a social actor in the situation observed, thus being subject to the same rules of civility as the others are, he is not a social actor entirely like the others who are interacting, but interacts as an observer. This qualification (socially recognized by the other members of the group) endows him with a distinction by which he can provide an account of what happens without being associated with what happens.
  2. (reflexive) to realize, to notice, to become aware (of)
    Synonyms: prendre conscience, (proscribed) réaliser

Conjugation

References