Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

javert

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.11 in modern English

Syllables: javert
IPA

16

Scrabble Score

6

Letters

1

Syllables

6

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

One who remorselessly pursues a perceived wrongdoer.

Example Sentences

"Whether by instinct, as in Boston, or by psychological testing, as in St. Louis, some police departments are waking up to the characterological hazards of the police profession. But unfortunately there are still a good many Javerts around."
"The Javerts in today's society are supported not with index cards and filing clerks, but with the latest electronic databases […]"
"Ted and I have Javerts in our lives, those who will not accept the fact that God the Father has welcomed his prodigal son home."

Etymology

From Javert, a police inspector in Victor Hugo's 1862 novel Les Misérables.

Inflected Forms

Javerts (plural)

Frequently Paired Words

Javertian

Questions

What does javert mean?: One who remorselessly pursues a perceived wrongdoer.
Where does javert come from?: From Javert, a police inspector in Victor Hugo's 1862 novel Les Misérables.

How to pronounce javert

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “javert”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “javert”.
Repeat and practice — Say “javert” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.