Phrase guide

faute de mieux

adv · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /fəʊt də ˈmjɜː/
  • Received-Pronunciation: /fɔːt-/
  • Received-Pronunciation: /-ˈmjø/
  • General-American: /foʊt də ˈmjə(ɹ)/
  • General-American: /-ˈmjʊɹ/

1

adv

Meaning 1

For want of something better; for lack of an alternative; as a makeshift.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • I just married her faute de mieux.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from French faute de mieux.

Across languages

Translations

5 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Danish: i mangel af bedre — for want of something better
  • Finnish: paremman puutteessa — for want of something better
  • French: faute de mieux — for want of something better
  • Ido: en manko di plu bona (ulo) — for want of something better
  • Russian: за неиме́нием лучшего (za neiménijem lučševo) — for want of something better