I’ve not experienced writers confusing the definition of protégé so much as noting the confusion over gender application. Yep, it’s another one of those French gender differences that require an extra e, a declension, to distinguish the feminine from the masculine.
Exploring Later . . .
You may also want to explore other gender-based word confusions such as “Alumna versus Alumnus“, “Attach vs Attaché vs Attachée“, “Blond(e)s & Brunet(te)s“, “Chargé d’affaires vs Chargée d’affaires“, “Cher, Chéri versus Chère, Chérie“, “Confidant vs Confidante vs Confident“, “Fiancé versus Fiancée“, “Frances versus Francis“, “Petit versus Petite“, and/or “Widow versus Widower“.
Word Confusions . . .
. . . started as my way of dealing with a professional frustration with properly spelled words that were out of context in manuscripts I was editing as well as books I was reviewing. It evolved into a sharing of information with y’all. I’m hoping you’ll share with us words that have been a bête noire for you from either end.
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| Protégé | Protégée |
|---|---|
 — |
 — |
| Part of Grammar: | |
| Noun
Plural for the noun: protégés |
Noun
Plural for the noun: protégées |
| MALE
A man who is guided and supported by an older and more experienced or influential person |
FEMALE
A woman who is guided and supported by an older and more experienced or influential person |
| Examples: | |
| He was an aide and protégé of the former Tennessee senator. | She was an aide and protégée of the former Tennessee senator. |
| History of the Word: | |
| Late 18th century French, literally meaning protected. It’s a past participle of protéger, from the Latin protegere meaning cover in front. | |
C’mon, get it out of your system, bitch, whine, moan . . . which words are your pet peeves? Also, please note that I try to be as accurate as I can, but mistakes happen or I miss something. Email me if you find errors, so I can fix them . . . and we’ll all benefit!
Satisfy your curiosity about other Word Confusions on its homepage or more generally explore the index of self-editing posts. You may also want to explore Book Layout & Formatting Ideas, Formatting Tips, Grammar Explanations, Linguistics, Publishing Tips, the Properly Punctuated, Writing Ideas and Resources, and Working Your Website.
Resources for Protégé versus Protégée
Apple Dictionary.com
Pinterest Photo Credits
Father And Son by Circe Denyer is from Public Domain Pictures and Mother and Daughter by Iqbal Stock is from Pixabay. Both are in the public domain.
Revised as of 17 Apr 2024
By: Kathy Davie