façonnent

Façonnent is the third-person plural present indicative form of the French verb façonner, meaning to shape, fashion, or mold. The verb covers both literal and figurative senses: to give a material form to a substance and to shape something less tangible, such as plans, products, or reputations. The noun façon, meaning form or manner, is its etymological root, itself derived from Old French and ultimately from Latin facere, “to do or make.”

Usage and nuances: In a literal sense, façonner describes processes where materials are worked or molded—wood, metal, clay, or dough. In a figurative sense, it refers to shaping outcomes, strategies, or identities, as in designing a product, guiding a project, or molding public opinion. The expression often appears in contexts involving design, manufacturing, innovation, or policy.

Grammar notes: Façonnent is used with ils or elles. The form is also identical in the present subjunctive: qu’ils façonnent, qu’elles façonnent, with context indicating mood. Related forms include façonnant (present participle) and façonnage (the process of shaping or forming).

Examples: Les ouvriers façonnent le métal. Ils façonnent l’avenir de la ville. Cette approche façonne les comportements des consommateurs. These usages illustrate both the material and the symbolic dimensions of shaping pursued by the verb.