arrière-pensée

English

Etymology

Borrowed from French arrière-pensée.

Noun

arrière-pensée (plural arrière-pensées or (proscribed) arrières-pensées)

1. A mental reservation or ulterior motive.
   • 1884, Henry James, “The Path of Duty”, in The English Illustrated Magazine, 2(15): 240-256:

     He knew that I had guessed his arrière-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 (CAN)

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Noun

arrière-pensée f (plural arrière-pensées)

1. ulterior motive
2. doubt, reservation

Further reading

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

Italian

Etymology

Borrowed from French arrière-pensée.

Pronunciation

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

Noun

arrière-pensée m or f by sense (invariable)

1. arrière-pensée (both senses)