radiation

noun rah-dyah-SYOHN Rare

Origin: From Latin radiatio, from radiare ('to radiate').

Also means

erasure (from a list)

Usage Note

Radiation covers both electromagnetic/nuclear radiation (radiation nucléaire) and the administrative act of striking someone off a register (radiation du barreau — disbarment). The two senses are quite distinct in context. Related: radier (to strike off), radioactif (radioactive).

Examples

"Les radiations sont dangereuses pour la santé."

Natural Translation

Radiation is dangerous to health.

Related Words

Explore French by topic

FrenchNow

French Liaison Rules: When to Link Words (and Not To)

French liaison links a silent final consonant to the next vowel. Learn the obligatory, forbidden, and optional rules, plus the s→z and d→t sound shifts.

June 4, 2026 5 min read

FrenchNow

Le, La, Un, Du: French Articles Made Simple

Le, la, un, du, des made simple: pick the French article family by meaning, the form by gender, and dodge the two mistakes English speakers always make.

June 4, 2026 5 min read

FrenchNow

French Numbers 70, 80, 90 Made Simple

French numbers 70, 80, 90 are soixante-dix, quatre-vingts, and quatre-vingt-dix. Learn three build formulas to make any number 70-99 on the fly.

June 3, 2026 5 min read

FrenchNow

Avoir or Être? Picking the Right Past-Tense Helper

Use avoir for the passé composé unless the verb is reflexive or one of ~16 DR MRS VANDERTRAMP motion verbs, which take être and force agreement.

June 4, 2026 5 min read