menacée

Menacée is the feminine singular form of the French adjective menacé, meaning “threatened” or “in danger of harm.” It is used to describe something that faces potential danger or risk, and it appears with feminine nouns in contexts ranging from nature and geography to rights and policies. The masculine form is menacé, and the plural forms are menacées (feminine) and menacés (masculine).

In common usage, menacée is frequently found in environmental and conservation contexts. For example, espèce menacée translates to “endangered species,” while une région menacée or une forêt menacée refers to a region or forest at risk. The term is also used more broadly to express threat to phenomena such as culture, democracy, or economic stability, as in démocratie menacée or économie menacée. The phrase can appear in legal, journalistic, and scientific writing to indicate risk or urgency.

Etymology-wise, menacée derives from the verb menacer, meaning “to threaten.” The noun menace is related, and the adjective appears in its feminine form to agree with feminine nouns. Grammatical agreement follows standard French rules: menacé (masc.), menacée (fem.), menacés (pl. masc.), menacées (pl. fem.).

Overall, menacée serves as a concise descriptor of something that is at risk, with its precise meaning shaped by the noun it accompanies.