recevant

Recevant is the present participle of the French verb recevoir, meaning to receive. It designates ongoing action or a state of receiving and is used in two main ways: as a present participle in dependent clauses, and as an attributive participial adjective in certain constructions. In standard morphology, it follows the regular -ant pattern of French participles, with the usual gender and number agreements when used adjectivally: recevant (masculine singular), recevants (masculine plural), recevante (feminine singular), recevantes (feminine plural).

Usage examples include the gerundive sense formed with en, to express simultaneous action: en recevant des lettres, il sourit (while receiving letters, he smiles). It also appears in descriptive phrases that modify a noun: un hôte recevant des invités (a host receiving guests). The participle can describe a person or situation that involves the act of receiving, as in a context such as une organisation recevant des dons (an organization receiving donations).

Etymology traces recevant to the verb recevoir, itself from the Latin recipere. Related forms appear across Romance languages and English, where the concept of receiving is expressed with cognate roots.

In contemporary French, recevant is primarily a grammatical form rather than a common standalone word. It is encountered in literary, administrative, and formal writing, especially within clauses that require a dynamic, ongoing sense of receiving. See also recevoir, partir of the same verb family, and the broader category of participles in French grammar.