exprimé

Exprimé is the past participle of the French verb exprimer. Used as an adjective and in compound tenses, it means “expressed” or “stated.” It can modify a noun directly, and, when used as part of a passive construction, indicates that something has been expressed. The form agrees in gender and number with the noun it describes: un mot exprimé, une opinion exprimée, des mots exprimés, des opinions exprimées.

Etymology: Exprimé derives from Latin exprimere, literally “to press out,” from ex- “out” plus premere “to press.” It passed through Old French into modern French with a range of senses centered on putting thoughts into words or form.

Usage: In general French, exprimé conveys that a thought, message, or idea has been put into words. It is common across formal and informal registers. It contrasts with explicite in contexts where the emphasis is on clarity or explicitness. Example: “Un objectif clairement exprimé” translates to “a clearly expressed objective.”

In genetics, exprimé is widely used in the term expression génique, referring to a gene that is active in a cell. A gene that is expressed is transcribed and often translated, while a gene that is not expressed remains silent under the conditions studied. The concept is central to analyses of gene expression, typically measured by RNA levels or protein presence.

See also: gene expression; expression (linguistics); exprimer.