foule

Foule is a French noun meaning a large number of people gathered in one place. It is used to refer to a crowd in public spaces, such as markets, demonstrations, concerts, or spontaneous gatherings. The term can denote both the persons in the crowd and the mass as a social phenomenon.

Grammatical notes: Foule is feminine; the plural is foules. The phrase des foules describes multiple crowds. Typical expressions include la foule s'est pressée, la foule s'est dispersée, une foule enthousiaste, la foule des spectateurs.

Cultural and scientific usage: In sociology and psychology, the crowd is studied as a social phenomenon, with processes such as crowd behavior, deindividuation, and crowd dynamics. Theories by Gustave Le Bon describe how individual actions can be amplified within a group. In journalism and media, la foule often evokes mass participation and collective emotion.

Origin and history: The word foule comes from Old French foule and has long been used to refer to a multitude of people. Its sense broadened over time, while remaining most common in concrete references to people.