déploient

Déploient is the third-person plural present tense form of the French verb déployer. It is used with subjects ils or elles and translates roughly as “they deploy” or “they spread out.” The verb can convey physical unfolding, but is also used in figurative senses to indicate the allocation or extension of resources, personnel, or systems.

Etymology: Déployer derives from the prefix dé- (undo, unfold) combined with ployer, from the Latin plicare meaning to fold. The original sense was to unfold something physically, and the meaning broadened to include actions such as arranging forces, distributing resources, or launching software.

Usage: In military discourse, déploient describes moving troops into position, for example, “Les troupes déploient leurs formations.” In business and technology, it refers to making resources available or releasing software: “L’entreprise déploie une nouvelle application” or “déployer une infrastructure.” The related noun is déploiement, referring to the act of deploying or the deployment itself.

Orthography and related forms: The standard spelling in present tense is déploient. A common error is déployent. The form also appears in the present subjunctive as “qu’ils déploient.” While identical in form to the indicative for the third person plural, the context usually clarifies the mood and tense.