pareil

English

Etymology

Borrowed from French pareil.

Noun

pareil (plural pareils)

1. (obsolete, quaint) An equal.

   Among writers he was a man without pareil.

Derived terms

• nonpareil

Anagrams

• Aprile

French

Etymology

Inherited from Middle French pareil, from Old French, from Late Latin pariculus, diminutive of Latin pār. Compare Occitan parelh, Spanish parejo.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /pa.ʁɛj/

• audio

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɛj
• Homophones: pareils, pareille, pareilles

Adjective

pareil (feminine pareille, masculine plural pareils, feminine plural pareilles)

1. such

   Synonym: tel

   Je n’ai jamais vu une chose pareille.

   I've never seen such a thing.

   en pareil cas ― in such a case

2. like, alike, same

   Les chauves-souris voletaient en silence, pareilles à des ombres inquiètes.

   Bats fluttered in silence like worried shadows.

   Il est pareil à son père. (Quebec)

   He's like his father.

Usage notes

The adjective is often placed before the noun in formal style: un pareil crime, whereas un crime pareil sounds more natural.

Derived terms

• être du pareil au même
• impareil
• sans pareil
• ne pas avoir son pareil
• nonpareil
• rendre la pareille

See also

• même
• semblable
• tel

Adverb

pareil

1. the same; alike

   faire pareil ― to do the same

   Elles étaient habillées pareil.

   They were dressed alike.

2. (Quebec, informal) anyway; just the same

   Synonym: quand même

   J’avais pas envie d’y aller, mais ch’t’y allé pareil.

   I didn't feel like going, but I went anyway.

Further reading

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

Anagrams

• palier, pilera, plaire, pliera, replia