Voiler

Voiler is a French verb meaning to cover with a veil or to conceal, either in a literal sense or figuratively. It can describe drawing a veil over the face, shielding something from view, or obscuring information or intentions. The verb is widely used in everyday language as well as in literary and journalistic contexts to indicate partial or complete concealment.

Etymology and form: Voiler is derived from the noun voile, meaning veil, which in turn comes from the same root as the Latin velum, meaning veil or cover. Voiler is a regular -er verb in French, conjugated with standard endings. In the present tense, the forms are: je voile, tu voiles, il voile, nous voilons, vous voilez, ils voilent. The past participle is voilé, used with auxiliary avoir in compound tenses (par exemple, j’ai voilé, elle a voilé). Other tenses and moods follow normal -er-verb patterns (voilais, voilerai, voilerais, qu’il voile, etc.).

Usage notes: The verb commonly collocates with objects or with phrases indicating concealment, such as voiler le visage, voiler des informations, or voiler ses intentions. It can carry neutral, descriptive meaning (a curtain voiles the window) or more evaluative tones in political or media discourse when truth or transparency is described as being voilée. In everyday French, it is preferred over more idiomatic alternatives when a literal or precise sense of veiling is intended.

See also: voile (veil), voilure (in sail terminology, the effect of a sail or veil). Voilier is a different noun meaning a sailboat.