freiner

Freiner is a French verb meaning to apply the brake or to slow down the movement of something. In a mechanical sense, it describes the action of using brakes to stop or reduce speed, typically of a vehicle. The term comes from the noun frein, which designates the braking device itself. Historical use linked freiner to braking actions on horse-drawn or wheeled transport, and the verb has since extended to figurative meanings.

Figuratively, freiner means to curb or restrain a process, trend, or activity. It is commonly used with nouns such as l’inflation, la consommation, la dépense publique, or la croissance. Examples include freiner l’inflation, freiner la consommation, or freiner la hausse des prix. In policy and economics, it denotes measures intended to limit rapid expansion without an outright halt.

Conjugation and usage notes: freiner is a regular -er verb. Present tense forms are je freine, tu freines, il freine, nous freinons, vous freinez, ils freinent. The past participle is freiné. The imperfect is freinais, freinais, freinait, freinaient; the future is freinerai, freineras, freinera, freinerons, freinerez, freineront. It is used transitively with a direct object (freiner la vitesse, freiner la croissance) and in impersonal constructions (il faut freiner la dépense publique). Synonyms include ralentir; freiner conveys a sense of active braking or deliberate constraint, whereas ralentir is a broader term for slowing down.