remarqué

Remarqué is the past participle of the French verb remarquer, which means to notice, to remark, or to draw attention to. As an adjective, remarqué can mean that something has attracted attention or is noteworthy, though the more common adjective for “remarkable” is remarquable or remarquably used in some contexts.

Forms and agreement: masculine singular is remarqué; feminine singular remarquée; masculine plural remarqués; feminine plural remarquées. When used with an auxiliary verb in compound tenses, the participle agrees with the preceding direct object in gender and number if there is one. For example: j’ai remarqué un détail, but les détails que j’ai remarqués; la remarque que j’ai remarquée est pertinente.

Usage notes: remarqué is versatile in written and spoken French. As a verb, it expresses the act of noticing or commenting on something, as in “J’ai remarqué une incohérence dans le rapport.” As an adjective, it signals that something has drawn attention, as in “un geste remarqué par tous” or “un événement remarqué lors du congrès.” For expressing inherent quality or impressiveness, français tends to prefer remarqué or più often remarque are contrasted with “remarquable,” the standard term for “remarkable” or “notable.”

Etymology: remarqué derives from remarquer, itself built from re- (again, back) plus marquer (to mark), conveying the sense of marking again or drawing attention anew. The nuance shifts between pointing out something and something that has been noticed by others.