arrière-pensée

English

Etymology

Borrowed fromFrencharrière-pensée.

Noun

arrière-pensée(pluralarrière-penséesor(proscribed)arrières-pensées)

1. Amental reservationorulterior motive.
   • 1884,Henry James,“The Path of Duty”, inThe English Illustrated Magazine,2(15): 240-256:

     He knew that I had guessed hisarrière-pensée,but he let me off for the moment, for which I was thankful; either because he was still ashamed of it, or because he supposed I was reserving myself for the catastrophe,—should it occur.

French

Etymology

Literally,“behind-thought”.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key):/a.ʁjɛʁ.pɑ̃.se/

• Audio(Canada):

  (file)

Noun

arrière-penséef(pluralarrière-pensées)

1. ulterior motive
2. doubt,reservation

Further reading

• “arrière-pensée”,inTrésor de la langue française informatisé[Digitized Treasury of the French Language],2012.

Italian

Etymology

BorrowedfromFrencharrière-pensée.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key):/arˌrjɛr.panˈse/^*
• Rhymes:-e

Noun

arrière-penséemorfby sense(invariable)

1. arrière-pensée (both senses)