Legal Translation of “concurrence” in French: Agreement or Simultaneity?

A false friend that can trap even the most experienced translators.

The English word concurrence looks deceptively similar to the French "concurrence". But this resemblance is misleading: in English, concurrence does not mean economic competition between companies.

Instead, it can refer to:

• the simultaneity of events or actions,

• or agreement/assent with a decision or opinion.

🖥️ In IT: Simultaneity

In a technical or IT context, concurrence means simultaneity, often referring to operations or users acting at the same time.

Examples:

• concurrent users → utilisateurs simultanés

• concurrent processes → processus simultanés

🤝 In Law: Agreement, Assent, Adhesion

In legal or institutional contexts, concurrence can express prior agreement or formal assent.

Examples:

• with the prior concurrence of the Board → avec l’accord préalable du Conseil d’administration

• to concur with someone → être d’accord avec quelqu’un

⚖️ In Judicial Decisions: Separate Opinions

A common usage in common law jurisdictions or in arbitration is in reference to individual judicial opinions:

• concurring opinion → opinion concordante

• dissenting opinion → opinion dissidente

A concurring opinion is issued by a judge who agrees with the majority decision but wishes to add a different reasoning or additional remarks. This practice is frequent in the U.S. Supreme Court, the International Court of Justice, or in international arbitration.

✅ In Summary

📌 TransLex’s Advice

The word concurrence is tricky, because its resemblance to the French "concurrence" is misleading. Before translating it, determine whether it refers to:

• an agreement,

• simultaneity,

• or a concurring/dissenting opinion in a judicial context.

👉 Never confuse it with competition, which is the actual translation of "concurrence" in the economic sense.

❓ FAQ: the false friend "concurrence"