INCONTOURNABLE
From the press
“Comment se fait-il qu’après tant d’années, Montréal ne soit pas déjà une destination incontournable en ce qui concerne la mode haut de gamme, tant à l’échelle du pays qu’à l’international ?”
Commentary
Few French adjectives are translated in as many different ways as incontournable. Its core verb is contourner, which means to go around, and its basic meaning is inescapable or unavoidable. It’s like saying “un-go-aroundable.” However, it is used in multiple contexts where English tends to approach the matter from a different perspective. Explore its many possibilities below.
From our archives
Incontournable is often must in English, as in must-attend event, must-see show, or must-have fashion accessory. It also has a number of direct equivalents, shown here.
des atouts incontournables / undeniable advantages
fait incontournable / incontrovertible fact
conclusion incontournable / inescapable conclusion
rôle incontournable / indispensable role
C’est incontournable / There is no way around it
Ils sont des incontournables / There’s no avoiding them
Instead of using an adjective, English sometimes just says be sure not to miss something.
L’Hôtel de Glace est un incontournable
The Ice Hotel is an experience you won’t want to miss.A whole series of English adjectives are approximate matches that convey the same meaning as incontournable, but from a different perspective.
une option incontournable pour faire fructifier votre argent/the best option to make your money grow
des réalités paternelles aujourd’hui incontournables/situations common among today’s fathers
un riche et incontournable contenu artistique/rich and compelling artistic content
La formation de la main-d’œuvre est incontournable/Workforce training is critical
La langue est une donnée incontournable/Language is critically important
Ces travailleurs sont des maillons incontournables du filet humain/Those workers are so essential to our social safety net
l’incontournable St-Ann’s Art and Culture Center/the fabulous St. Ann’s Art and Culture Center
des spécialités incontournables de chaque ville/famous foods from each city
le pôle incontournable de la culture à Ottawa/Ottawa’s foremost cultural centre
un attrait touristique incontournable/the headline attraction
un incontournable de la gravure au Québec/a highly regarded Quebec print artist
Ce sera un atout incontournable/It will make a huge difference
l’incontournable Outback australien/the iconic Australian outback
levier incontournable d’une transition sobre en carbone/a key driver for a low-carbon transition
un mouvement mondial incontournable/a major international movement
un événement incontournable/a marquee attraction
La marche est grande, mais incontournable/It’s a big step but it’s necessary
une collection incontournable à la maison comme au chalet/a perfect collection at home or the cottage
une manifestation incontournable/a popular event
l’institut de recherche universitaire incontournable/the premier university research institute
un livre de chevet incontournable/required bed-time reading
s'approprier ce site incontournable/enjoy these spectacular falls
un partenaire incontournable de la campagne/a strategic partner of the campaign
la liste des huit personnes incontournables du domaine/the top eight people in the field
un partenaire incontournable/a valued partner
incontournables pour réussir/vital to your success
In administrative and promotional contexts, you’ll come across the French expressions acteur incontournable and référence incontournable.
la référence incontournable de l'industrie/the ultimate authority on industry matters, the gold standard in the industry, a pillar in the industry
un acteur incontournable de la vitalité de notre communauté/crucial to the vitality of our community
votre référence incontournable sur le plan financier/your go-to financial resource
des acteurs incontournables du système politique québécois/key actors in Québec’s political system
acteur incontournable pour l’atteinte de l’excellence numérique/a leader in digital excellence
un acteur incontournable du paysage cinématographique québécois/a leading player in Quebec’s film industry
référence incontournable de la pétanque/the biggest name in petanque
référence incontournable en matière de pierre naturelle/the place to go for natural stone
acteur incontournable dans tous les secteurs où elle est présente/prime players in every field we operate in
Incontournable is sometimes used as a noun.
Incontournable is sometimes used as a noun.
Québec devrait figurer en tête de sa liste d’incontournables/Québec City should be at the top of everyone’s bucket list
Faire un tour de bateau est un incontournable des vacances estivales/Taking a boat tour is a summer vacation classic
Les tranches de dindon style bacon deviendront vite un incontournable à votre table/The rasher’s superb flavour will make it a menu favourite
un incontournable de la scène alternative/a fixture of the alternative music scene
Je parle certes de qualité de l’air et du niveau sonore… ce sont des incontournables/Obviously I mean data on air quality and noise level—those are a given
Assurance habitation : un incontournable/Home Insurance: Always a Good Idea
Le nuage est désormais un incontournable/The cloud is now a necessity
Le Marché de Noël allemand est un incontournable pour s’imprégner de l’ambiance des Fêtes/The German Christmas Market is one of the best ways to embrace the holiday spirit
English occasionally translates incontournable using a verb or a periphrase.
Rendre hommage à ce grand philanthrope nous semble incontournable/In our eyes, a tribute to this philanthropist is a gesture that speaks for itself
Ses lunettes fumées représentent un incontournable pour lui/He never leaves home without his sunglasses
L’incontournable du menu est sans contredit la faisselle maison/Be sure to try the homemade faisselle
C’est un incontournable pour les mordus de vélo de montagne/If you’re into mountain biking, put it on your list
Elles sont un incontournable du monde industriel/It has found its way into most industrial applications.
deux incontournables projets dans la region/two projects that will have a big impact here
un joueur incontournable des chantiers de type commercial/a force to be reckoned with in commercial roofing
Nos solutions sont incontournables/Look no further than us
incontournable enjeu d’affaires/no business can escape the issue
C’est comme le libre-échange, c’est incontournable/Just like free trade, it is here to stay
Sometimes, an English sentence with incontournable will end up quite a bit longer than the French equivalent:
Leadership recognizes that these topics are important to stay on top of within their business/Pour l’équipe de direction, il s’agit de questions incontournables
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