esprit

American  

[e-spree] / ɛˈspri /

noun

1. sprightliness of spirit or wit; lively intelligence.

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esprit British  

/ ɛˈspriː /

noun

1. spirit and liveliness, esp in wit

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Etymology

Origin of esprit

1585–95; < French < Latin spīritus spirit

Explanation

Someone with esprit is full of life, joy, and vigor. Your esprit might make you a lively camp counselor or an enthusiastic teacher. The quality of being vivacious and alive, smart and witty, can be summed up in the word esprit. Esprit isn't something everyone has, but people who do are positive and fun to be around. It's a French word that's been used in English since the 16th century, literally meaning "spirit," "soul," or "mind," from the Latin root spiritus, "spirit."

Example Sentences

ESPRIT, France — While few people question mandatory helmets in professional cycling and sunglasses are unlikely to disappear any time soon, the combination has an unfortunate side effect.

From New York Times • Jul. 16, 2016

One may have very honest sentiments, and a great deal of ESPRIT, and yet write like a cat....

From History of Friedrich II of Prussia — Volume 19 by Carlyle, Thomas

Let us first make a distinction between the two meanings of the word wit ESPRIT, the broader one and the more restricted.

From Laughter : an Essay on the Meaning of the Comic by Brereton, Cloudesley Shovell Henry

But if they wrote badly and spelled badly, they had an abundance of that delicate combination of intellect and wit which the French call ESPRIT.

From The Women of the French Salons by Mason, Amelia Ruth Gere

Just, candid, consummately polite: an excellent manager of men, as well as of war-movements, though Voltaire found him shockingly defective in ESPRIT.

From History of Friedrich II of Prussia — Volume 20 by Carlyle, Thomas