lancé

Lancé is a French term that primarily functions as the past participle of the verb lancer, meaning to throw, launch, or set in motion. When used as an adjective, it describes something that has been launched or started and must agree with the gender and number of the noun it modifies: lancé (masc. sing.), lancée (fem. sing.), lancés (masc. pl.), lancées (fem. pl.). It can also appear in compound tenses, such as le satellite a été lancé, using the passive or perfect construction.

In ordinary usage, lancé conveys that an action of throwing or launching has occurred. It appears in contexts ranging from scientific launches to starting a project or initiative. Examples include une fusée lancée hier (a rocket launched yesterday) and le projet lancé par l’équipe (the project started by the team). The expression se lancer, a related, reflexive form, means to throw oneself into an activity or to embark on a venture, as in elle s’est lancée dans une nouvelle carrière.

Etymologically, lancer comes from Old French and is related to the notion of throwing with a lance or similar implement; its development centers on projection and initiation. The past participle form lancé is widely used across genres, including journalism, literature, and technical writing, to indicate that an action of launching or starting has been completed.

See also: lancer, se lancer, phraseological uses of lancer, past participles in French.