Meaning & use
Gide
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Meaning
proper nounproper
The French writer André Gide (1869–1951), known for novels and essays exploring personal freedom, morality, and religion, and awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1947.
Grammar: Always written with a capital letter and used without an article: we say 'Gide wrote' not 'the Gide'.
Patterns
- Gide's novels
- a novel by Gide
- Gide won the Nobel Prize
André Gide was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1947 for his novels and essays.
Many readers first encounter Gide through his short novel 'The Stranger' or his autobiographical writings.
Critics often compare Gide's frank discussions of morality with those of his younger contemporary Albert Camus.
Common combinations
- André Gide
- André Gide published his most famous novel, 'The Immoralist', in 1902.
- the Nobel Prize in Literature
- Gide received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1947.
- a novel by Gide
- My teacher recommended starting with a novel by Gide, such as 'The Counterfeiters'.
Word family
- Gidean adjective
- Relating to the style or ideas of Gide; a term used mainly in literary criticism.
Practice
Choose the best sentence.
Choose one answer.
As a person's name, 'Gide' is a singular proper noun used without an article: 'Gide was awarded...'. 'The Gide' wrongly adds an article, and 'Gides' wrongly treats a surname as a plural.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “Gide”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.