retrouvailles
/ʁə.tʁu.vaj/
Retrouvailles refers to the joy of reuniting with someone after a long period of separation. It captures the specific emotional relief and warmth felt when you finally see a person you have missed deeply, suggesting that the reunion is a significant and meaningful event rather than a casual encounter. While it is a French loanword often used in English for its poetic flair, it carries a slightly nostalgic or sophisticated tone. It is best used to describe poignant or long-awaited meetings, such as seeing a childhood friend after many years or a family member returning from a long journey.
In conversation
Reuniting at the airport
I can't believe it's been three years!
I can't believe it's been three years!
It feels like a lifetime. What a beautiful retrouvailles.
It feels like a lifetime. What a beautiful reunion.
Used to emphasize the emotional weight of the meeting.
Coffee shop catch-up
We haven't seen each other since graduation.
We haven't seen each other since graduation.
I'm so glad we planned this retrouvailles.
I'm so glad we planned this reunion.
Used to frame the meeting as a special, deliberate occasion.
Examples
The two old friends shared a tearful retrouvailles at the train station.
The two old friends shared a tearful reunion at the train station.
Our annual summer gathering is always a delightful retrouvailles for the extended family.
Our annual summer gathering is always a delightful reunion for the extended family.
There is a bittersweet quality to every retrouvailles, knowing that time has changed us both.
There is a bittersweet quality to every reunion, knowing that time has changed us both.
