-elle

American  

1. a noun suffix occurring in loanwords from French, where it originally formed diminutives, now often with a derivative sense in which the diminutive force is lost (bagatelle; prunelle; rondelle ); also in Anglicized forms of Latin words ending in -ella (organelle ).

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Etymology

Origin of -elle

< French < Latin -ella, feminine of -ellus, forming diminutives corresponding to stems ending in -ul- -ule, -r- ( see castellum), -n- ( see patella)

Example Sentences

Meanwhile, Aniston also spoke highly about her boyfriend in a November 2025 interview with Elle.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 9, 2026

Elle Brown,18, has been working part-time in the shop for the past year.

From BBC • May 30, 2026

The Oscar-winning actress playing Helen of Troy told Elle she’s heard some of the criticism, but doesn’t think it’s worth much thought.

From Salon • May 24, 2026

She later went from a figure-hugging sheer lavender Gucci gown to a playful daytime polka dot ensemble from Jacquemus matched with retro white sun glasses, with Elle magazine praising her "old Hollywood" dash.

From Barron's • May 22, 2026

“I should have called it off a while ago,” Erin was explaining to Elle.

From "Here to Stay" by Sara Farizan