chanson

American

[shan-suhn, shahn-sawn] / ˈʃæn sən, ʃɑ̃ˈsɔ̃ /

noun

plural

chansons

any of several types of song with French lyrics, occurring from the Middle Ages to the present in a variety of musical styles.

Etymology

Origin of chanson

1595–1605; < French < Latin cantiōn- (stem of cantiō ) song; canzone

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

As with other yé-yé singers, Hardy’s music blended mid-1960s bubblegum pop, groovy guitar lines and France’s romantic chanson tradition to create sticky-sweet love songs.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 12, 2024

According to the unconfirmed reports, she would sing a chanson of the late Édith Piaf - thus updating a French classic and showing it off before a modern, multi-ethnic worldwide audience.

From BBC • Mar. 13, 2024

Singer La Zarra, competing for France, is also highly ranked for her Edith Piaf-esque chanson “Évidemment.”

From Seattle Times • May 9, 2023

Brel is a modern representative of the French chanson tradition, a poetic style of songwriting that can trace its origins back to the medieval period.

From Salon • Dec. 25, 2021

Then there was the sound of chanson music and accordions and lots of clinking wineglasses as they celebrated.

From "Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody" by Patrick Ness

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023