Objet

Objet is the French noun meaning object or thing. It is masculine (plural objets) and appears in a wide range of expressions from everyday speech to technical terminology.

Etymology: The word derives from Latin objectum through Old French, sharing kinship with related terms in other Romance languages. It originally referred to something presented to the mind or to the senses and later broadened to any thing.

In art and culture: The phrase objet d'art designates a small, decorative art object valued for beauty or craftsmanship. The term objet trouvé describes an object discovered by an artist and used in a work of art; it is a central concept in Dada and Surrealism.

In philosophy and psychoanalysis: Jacques Lacan uses the term objet petit a (object little a) to denote the unattainable object of desire that structures subjectivity. The concept is central to his theory of desire and lack.

In grammar and linguistics: In French grammar, objet refers to the object of a verb. The terms objet direct (direct object) and objet indirect (indirect object) classify grammatical functions in clauses; the corresponding English terms are direct object and indirect object.

In computing and general usage: Objet is used in French to translate object in programming, database items, or data structures, and may appear in technical documentation as a direct equivalent of English object.