entières

Entières is the feminine plural form of the French adjective entier, meaning whole, complete, or entire. It agrees with feminine plural nouns and is used to describe something that is not partial or broken into parts.

Usage and examples

Entiè res appears in phrases such as des parties entières (entire parts), des portions entières (whole portions), or valeurs entières (integer values). In these contexts, entières designates completeness or totality and often refers to quantities that are not fractions. In mathematics, however, the standard term for the set of whole numbers is masculine: les entiers. The feminine form is not used to name the mathematical object, but it can modify feminine nouns, for example la valeur entière (the integer value) or des quantités entières (whole quantities).

Pronunciation and grammar

Enti è res is pronounced approximately as [ɑ̃tjɛʁ], with the final s usually silent in ordinary speech. It is the feminine plural counterpart to entiers (masculine plural) and to entière (feminine singular). The formation follows regular French gender and number inflection, with the suffix -ière indicating the feminine form of the adjective.

Etymology and relation to related terms

Enti è res derives from Old French entier, itself from Latin integer, meaning untouchable or whole. The feminine forms arise through standard French derivation, contrasting with the masculine entiers used for masculine plural nouns and the feminine entière for feminine singular nouns.

In summary, entiè res functions as a grammatical form signaling femininity and plurality, used to describe things that are complete or whole. In mathematics, the word is not used as a standalone noun for the set of integers.