puisné

Puisné is a French adjective and, less commonly, a noun meaning younger or junior, typically used to designate someone who is younger in birth order or lower in rank within a family or group. The feminine form is puisnée and the plural can be puisnés or, when referring to females, puisnées. In everyday language one would say le frère puisné or la sœur puisnée to distinguish from the elder sibling, l’aîné ou l’aînée.

As a noun, puisné can refer to the younger person in a pair or set, though the feminine noun form is rare in isolation; more often the term appears as an adjective phrase modifying a noun. The term is especially common in genealogical, heraldic, or historical texts, where distinguishing between elder and younger relatives or heirs is important. In contemporary French, more common equivalents for general use are cadet or le plus jeune, but puisné retains a formal or archival tone.

Etymology and usage: puisné appears in Old and Middle French. The precise origin within the language is unclear, but the sense of “younger” developed in medieval usage and has persisted into modern usage in specialized registers. Its contrast with aîné (older) is a standard part of family and succession terminology.

Examples: le fils puisné de Jean Dupont; la sœur puisnée de Marie Dupont. In historical or legal documents, puisné frequently helps differentiate between siblings or heirs in lines of descent or succession. See also aîné, cadet, héritier.