aidée

Aidée is the feminine singular past participle of the French verb aider (to help). It can also function as an adjective meaning "helped" or "assisted." The corresponding forms are aidé (masculine), aidés (masculine plural), and aidées (feminine plural).

Etymology and usage notes: aidée derives from aider, which ultimately traces back to Latin adiūtāre meaning to help. As a participle, aidée agrees in gender and number with the noun it modifies or with the subject when used with certain auxiliaries. In the passive construction, for example, elle a été aidée means she was helped. In compounds with être or with a preceding feminine direct object pronoun, the ending shows agreement: Je l'ai aidée (I helped her).

Examples of use:

- Elle a été aidée par ses collègues. (She was helped by her colleagues.)

- Je l'ai aidée à terminer le projet. (I helped her finish the project.)

- Les personnes aidées recevront un soutien financier. (The aided/beneficiaries will receive financial support.)

- Une initiative aidée par la communauté. (An initiative aided/assisted by the community.)

Noun-like use: in some contexts aidée can function as a feminine noun to denote a person who has received assistance, as in les aidées, though this usage is more common in specific social or programmatic contexts.

See also: aider, aide, aide-mémoire (related term), aide sociale (social aid).