Does the word 'confrère' in English also apply to women sharing the same profession?


The word confrère(s) in French is used to refer to males sharing the same profession; the word for females is consoeur(s). How about English? Is this term used for both genders?



Answer



The definition of confrere is gender-free in American dictionaries (AHED, Merriam-Webster, and Dictionary.com, to name three).


Note that the usage example given by MW is this:



Many of the judge's confreres on the Fifth Circuit bench don't feel as she does on the issue



So, yes, confrere (or confrère) is used for either gender in English.


(A French confrère tells me that lawyers in France start letters to fellow lawyers with "Cher Confrère" regardless of the gender of their addressee.)


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