aval

downstream

noun ah-VAL Rare

Also means

approval, endorsement

Usage Note

Aval has two distinct lives in French: in geography it means 'downstream' (opposite of amont), and in administrative or business language it means official approval or backing, as in donner son aval — 'to give one's sign-off'. The preposition en aval de means 'downstream from' or figuratively 'further along in the process'. The two meanings rarely cause confusion in context.

Examples

"Le village est en aval du barrage."

Natural Translation

The village is downstream from the dam.

Literal Translation

The village is in the downstream of the dam.

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