reflétant

Réflétant is the present participle of the French verb réfléter, meaning "reflecting." In standard French it is written réflétant, but in contexts where accents are omitted (such as certain ASCII texts or data fields) you may also see reflétant. The participle can function as an adjective or as part of a verbal phrase, and it is related to the noun réflexion (reflection).

Etymology and forms: Réfléter comes from the Latin reflectere, meaning to bend back or to turn back. Through Old French and its development into modern French, the verb acquired the meaning of producing a reflection, whether literal (light) or figurative. The present participle réflétant conforms to the regular pattern for -éter verbs in French.

Usage: As an adjective, réflétant describes something that reflects light or images, or that presents a reflection in a figurative sense. For example, “une surface réflétant la lumière” or “un paysage réflétant les couleurs du soir.” The participle can also appear in a clause with the gerundive sense, as in “en réflétant les idées centrales du poème.” Although réfléter is often expressed with compound phrases such as “surface réfléchissante” in common usage, réflétant remains a valid descriptive form in literary or precise descriptive writing.

See also: réflexion, réflexion optique, miroir, réfléter.

Notes: The accent on the e is part of the correct spelling in standard French; absence of the accent does not change the meaning in most contexts, but it is considered an orthographic omission.