Beyoncé's Name Is Being Added to French Dictionary
Next-level stardom right there.
Beyoncé has been a huge superstar for decades at this stage, but she's now reached an unexpected next level in her celebrity journey: Her name is being added to the dictionary.
The French dictionary Le Petit Larousse has added 40 celebrities' names to its 2025 edition, as well as a bunch of other relevant words carefully selected by a jury of experts for inclusion, per The Times of London.
Beyoncé Knowles' name will appear with the definition "American singer of R&B and pop."
Beyoncé fans on social media appeared thrilled by the news, with one writing, "Star power"
Others also pointed to Beyoncé's French connection: "Creole French queen," wrote one person, referring to the star's Louisiana Creole ancestry.
Though Beyoncé has been one of the most successful women in entertainment for many years, now feels like a particularly poignant moment to add this dictionary inclusion to her resumé—since she's fresh off the success of her Renaissance World Tour and its associated concert movie, plus her new country album Cowboy Carter.
Beyoncé, pictured here at the Met Gala in 2016, has been one of the biggest international superstars for decades.
As well as the "TEXAS HOLD 'EM" singer, the dictionary will include entries for the likes of Cate Blanchett, Christopher Nolan, and LeBron James.
The French actor Omar Sy (known in the U.S. for roles in Lupin, Jurassic World, and Transformers) and soccer player Antoine Griezmann are also among the new additions.
As reported by The Times and French publication Le Point, other words included in the updated version include a number of terms originally from English, including "skate park" and "fast fashion." Other new words include, "kombucha" and "empouvoirement," a Frenchified version of the English "empowerment" as it's commonly used these days.
For some words, the dictionary sometimes resists the English term—even if that's the one commonly used by French people in everyday life.
"Whenever we bring in a common Anglicism, we always recommend a French term," Bernard Cerquiglini, an adviser for Larousse, told France Info radio (via The Times). "We are telling people who open the dictionary: 'If you want, you can speak French.'"
