excès

Excès is a French noun meaning excess or excessive amount, degree, or behavior, surpassing what is appropriate, lawful, or moderate. The term derives from Old French excès, from Latin excessus, from excedere, to go out, exceed.

It is used across many domains: in everyday language to describe overindulgence (excès de nourriture), in ethics to denote behavior that surpasses the bounds of prudence or virtue, and in law to signify acts that exceed delegated authority (excès de pouvoir) or compliance with traffic laws (excès de vitesse).

In ethics and philosophy, excès is one of two vices opposite virtue as the Aristotelian mean: virtue lies in moderation, while excess and deficiency are extremes leading away from virtue. Examples include rashness as an excess of courage and prodigality as an excess of generosity; each has a corresponding deficiency (cowardice, and stinginess).

Societal debate often concerns managing excès through norms, education, and regulation to balance freedom and restraint, preventing harm while allowing legitimate expression.

See also topics include moderation, virtue ethics, and legal terms such as excès de pouvoir and excès de vitesse.