nouveaux

Nouveaux is the masculine plural form of the French adjective nouveau, meaning "new." It agrees with masculine plural nouns and is used to describe things or people that are new in a given context. The corresponding forms are nouveau (masculine singular), nouvelle (feminine singular), and nouvelles (feminine plural). When the singular is placed before a vowel or a mute h, the form nouvel may be used (as in nouvel ami).

Etymology and spelling: The word derives from Latin novus via Old French nouveau. The plural masculine form is formed with the ending -eux, producing nouveaux; the final -x is typically silent in pronunciation. As an adjective, nouveau/nouveaux typically precedes the noun in modern French, though occasional stylistic variations can occur for emphasis or rhythm.

Usage and examples: Nouveaux is common in everyday French. Examples include les nouveaux arrivants (new arrivals), les nouveaux amis (new friends), and les nouveaux riches (the nouveau riche). The feminine forms are nouvelle (singular) and nouvelles (plural), which must agree with the noun they modify. The term can carry neutral or evaluative connotations depending on context, particularly in expressions like nouveaux riches, where it may imply social change or critique.

See also: The term is part of broader French grammar on adjective agreement and the comparative forms of nouveau. It is distinct from the lexicalized phrase Nouveau Roman, a separate literary movement, and from crossed uses such as nouvel when preceding a vowel-starting masculine noun.