Considérant

Considérant is the present participle of the French verb considérer (to consider, to regard). In formal and legal French, it is used as an introductory formula at the start of a recital or justification within statutes, decrees, orders, judgments, and other official acts. The phrase Considérant que (or simply Considérant) serves to present the facts, circumstances, or legal grounds on which the subsequent provisions are based. It functions similarly to the English term “Whereas” in introductory recitals.

Usage and function: Considérant typically appears at the beginning of sections or clauses, each line beginning with Considérant to lay out conditions, rights, or reasons supporting the ensuing text. In many texts, the recitals are enumerated, sometimes with the plural Considérants used to refer collectively to the set of recitals.

Etymology and linguistic notes: Considérant derives from the Latin considerare, through Old and Modern French considerer. The expression is a formal, literary-legal device rather than a common conversational construct, and its use signals the document’s procedural or justificatory character.

Regional and textual presence: The term is common in France and in other Francophone jurisdictions, including Belgium and Quebec, where legal texts or governmental acts preserve the formula. In ordinary prose, Considérant is generally not used outside official or ceremonial contexts.

Translations and related terms: In English translations of French legal texts, Considérant is usually rendered as “Whereas” or “Considering that.” Related linguistic forms include considération (the act or matter of considering) and considérer (to consider).