propos

Propos is a French masculine noun with several related but distinct senses. In everyday use, it denotes remarks, statements, or utterances made by someone. For example, des propos can refer to what someone says, including opinions or comments, such as “Des propos blessants” (hurtful remarks) or “les propos du ministre” (the minister’s remarks). The word can also describe the content or subject of speech, as in discussions about the proposer’s “propos” or aims.

The expression à propos is a common idiom with two related meanings: lorsque l’on parle de quelque chose, meaning “concerning” or “about,” and by extension “in relation to that.” A propos de is used to introduce a topic, while à propos on its own can mean “by the way” when used in conversation.

In linguistic and logical terminology, the English term proposition is the standard equivalent of a statement that can be true or false. In French, the technical sense is typically rendered as proposition (or, in logic, calcul propositionnel). The noun propos, however, remains primarily a general, non-technical word for spoken content or intention, rather than a formal logical construct.

Etymology traces propos to the sense of what is proposed or set forth, rooted in Latin propositum and the related French verb proposer. The plural form des propos is the common construction, while the singular un propos remains appropriate when referring to a single remark or aim in ordinary speech.