registre

Registre is a term with multiple meanings across languages and fields, generally related to a list, record, or range. In French, registre means a written record, roll, or official list, and it is used in contexts ranging from administrative documents to musical terminology. In English, the form registre is uncommon and the related concepts are usually rendered as register or registry.

In administrative and legal contexts, a registre refers to an official ledger maintained by the state or a public authority. Examples include civil registries for births, marriages, and deaths; land or property registers; and corporate or organization registers. These records are typically used for verification, governance, and statistical purposes.

In sociology and linguistics, the term register describes the level of formality or style in language use within a social setting. Language can vary along a continuum from intimate and informal to formal and ceremonial, and different registers require different vocabulary, syntax, and tone. The concept is central to sociolinguistics, discourse analysis, and communication studies.

In computing, francophone documentation sometimes uses registre to translate the English registry. A registry is a hierarchical database of configuration settings and options, such as those used by operating systems and software applications. The term emphasizes centralized, structured storage of system-wide information that can be read and modified by software components.

In music, registre (or register in English) refers to a particular range of pitches available to a voice or instrument, or to a stop-setting on keyboard instruments like the organ. Different registers allow for distinct timbres and tessituras within a composition or performance.

See also: register, registry, registration.