précieuse

Précieuse is the feminine form of the French adjective précieux, meaning precious or valuable. As an adjective, it describes something of high value, rarity, or esteem, for example une pierre précieuse or un geste précieux. Historically, it can also denote a beloved person or a woman who belonged to the social circle of the précieuses.

In a historical context, précieuse designates a participant in the literary and cultural movement of préciosité that took hold in Paris in the mid-17th century. The movement, or the précieuses, gathered salonnières and their audiences who valued refined language, wit, and elaborate manners. Central figures included Madeleine de Scudéry and other Parisian salon hosts who promoted a highly polished, affected diction and gracious etiquette as markers of sophistication. The style influenced contemporary prose and drama by encouraging careful phrasing, rhetorical artifice, and a heightened sense of civility.

The movement faced sharp criticism, most famously in Molière’s comedy Les Précieuses ridicules (1659), which mocked exaggerated linguistic refinement and social pretensions. By the late 1660s, préciosité waned as a distinct cultural phenomenon, though its legacy persisted in discussions of linguistic style and courtly elegance.

In modern usage, précieuse remains the feminine form of the adjective and a historical label for a participant in the précieuses movement. It also preserves its ordinary sense as precious or dear in everyday language.