défaites

Défaites is the plural form of the French noun défaite, which designates a defeat, loss, or failure in a contest, conflict, or undertaking. In English-language usage, the term is sometimes encountered in discussions of French discourse, but the concept it denotes is universal: a result in which a participant fails to achieve its aims. The noun derives from the verb défaire, meaning to undo or unmake; the noun form has been in use in French since the medieval period to denote the outcome of being undone by an adversary or circumstance.

Défaites occur in many domains. In military history, a defeat is the loss of a battle or campaign; in sports, it is a loss in a game or season; in politics, it refers to an electoral loss; in business, to a failed project or strategy. Phrases emphasize severity or closeness, such as a crushing or humiliating defeat, or a narrow defeat.

Beyond the concrete outcome, defeats can carry strategic, moral, or symbolic dimensions. A defeat can influence future decisions, morale, and reputations, and is often analyzed in terms of factors like planning, leadership, resources, and adaptability.

The plural form serves to describe multiple losses, whether experienced by a team over a season or by a country across events. See also defeat, loss, surrender, and reversal.