matinée

/ˌmæt.əˈneɪ/ French Origin Entertainment

Original Word

matinée

French

Entered English

19th century

First recorded usage in English

The Story Behind "matinée"

From French 'matinée', from 'matin' (morning). Originally a daytime entertainment performance, now refers to any afternoon performance. The English usage preserves the older French meaning of 'morning' entertainment.

Example Usage

"We went to the Saturday matinée to see the new play."

All French Loanwords Look Up in Dictionary

More French Loanwords

encore — encore Entertainment · 18th century déjà vu — déjà-vu Psychology · Early 20th century entrepreneur — entrepreneur Business · 19th century fiancé — fiancé Culture · 19th century café — café Food & Drink · 19th century restaurant — restaurant Food & Drink · 19th century avant-garde — avant-garde Arts · Early 20th century bouquet — bouquet Culture · 18th century