feuilleton
Low/C2Formal/Literary
Definition
Meaning
A part of a newspaper or magazine devoted to fiction, criticism, or light literature.
A literary piece or short novel published in installments in such a section; by extension, a work of fiction or discussion characterized by its light, entertaining, or episodic nature.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The term carries connotations of 19th-century literary culture and European, particularly French, journalism. It often refers to a specific, somewhat old-fashioned genre of light, serialised literature.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The term is equally uncommon in both varieties. It is a direct loan from French and used primarily in literary or historical contexts.
Connotations
In both, it suggests a European, intellectual, or historical literary context. No significant difference in connotation.
Frequency
Extremely low frequency in both. More likely encountered in academic papers on 19th-century literature or journalism history than in general use.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
The [newspaper] featured a [weekly] feuilleton.She wrote a [brilliant/light-hearted] feuilleton for the [magazine].Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Virtually never used.
Academic
Used in literary studies, media history, or European studies to describe a specific genre of serialised publication.
Everyday
Extremely rare. Would likely require explanation.
Technical
A term of art in journalism history and literary criticism.
Examples
By Part of Speech
adjective
British English
- The paper had a distinct feuilleton style.
- His feuilleton contributions were widely read.
American English
- She admired the feuilleton tradition of the magazine.
- His writing had a feuilleton quality to it.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The novel was first published as a feuilleton in a Parisian newspaper.
- He writes a cultural feuilleton for a weekend magazine.
- The 19th-century feuilleton was a crucial medium for the serialisation of major realist novels.
- Her critique eschewed academic jargon, adopting instead the accessible, essayistic tone of a literary feuilleton.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a French newspaper (FEUILLE = leaf/sheet) with a TON of light stories at the bottom.
Conceptual Metaphor
LITERATURE AS ENTERTAINMENT (light, digestible parts of a newspaper).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with 'фельетон' (feyl'eton), which in Russian specifically denotes a satirical or critical journalistic genre, whereas the English loanword is broader and often non-satirical.
- The English term is more narrowly literary/historical than the Russian counterpart.
Common Mistakes
- Mispronouncing it as 'fuel-leton' or 'full-eton'.
- Using it as a synonym for any newspaper article instead of a specific, literary serial feature.
Practice
Quiz
What is a 'feuilleton' most accurately described as?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is a low-frequency loanword used primarily in literary, historical, or academic contexts.
While historically tied to print newspapers, it could conceptually apply to a regular, literary blog series, though this is not a standard usage.
A 'feuilleton' is specifically a part of a publication (or a work therein) devoted to light literature, criticism, or fiction, often serialised. A 'column' is broader, covering any regular opinion or feature by a specific writer on any topic.
In British English, it is roughly /ˈfɜːɪətɒ̃/. In American English, it is roughly /ˈfɔɪəˌtɑn/. The final 'n' is nasalised, but many English speakers approximate it as a standard 'n'.