discutés

Discutés is the masculine plural past participle of the French verb discuter, which means to discuss, debate, or argue. In addition to its verbal use in compound tenses, discutés can function as an adjective to describe items that have already been the subject of discussion. The feminine forms are discutée (singular) and discutées (plural).

Etymology and usage context: The French verb discuter derives from Old French discuter and ultimately from Latin discutere, meaning to shake apart or to examine at length. As an adjective, discuté indicates that something has been considered, debated, or examined in a prior discussion. For example, in a meeting, one might refer to “les points discutés” to denote the points that were debated.

Grammatical notes: When used as a participial adjective, discutés agrees with a masculine plural noun (e.g., les points discutés). The corresponding forms are discuté (masculine singular) and discutée/discutées (feminine). In verb phrases, the past participle agrees with the direct object only under certain conditions, such as when the object precedes the verb in certain tenses or constructions.

Common contexts: minutes of a meeting, academic papers, legal documents, and journalistic reporting often feature phrases like “les éléments discutés”, “les propositions discutées”, or “les questions discutées”. The term remains neutral and descriptive, avoiding value judgments about the discussions themselves.

Related terms: Discuter is part of a family that includes discussion (la discussion) and discussions (les discussions). In contrast, other verbs for debating or arguing include débattre and contester, which have distinct nuances.