noun
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dignified grace in appearance, movement, or behaviour
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good taste in design, style, arrangement, etc
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something elegant; a refinement
Other Word Forms
- hyperelegance noun
- overelegance noun
- superelegance noun
Etymology
Origin of elegance
1500–10; < Middle French < Latin ēlegantia choiceness. See elegant, -ance
Explanation
Elegance is a quality of style and grace. In our age of jeans and sneakers, the elegance of actresses on the red carpet on Oscar night is such a welcome sight. It comes from the Latin elegantia, "taste, propriety, or refinement." Fashion designer and eternal fashion icon Coco Chanel famously said, "Elegance is refusal," meaning it's best to skip the big jewelry and flashy clothes in favor of simple styles made from luxurious fabrics that one could wear forever — and look great every time. Elegance also describes the beautiful simplicity of a solution, such as an elegant mathematical proof.
Vocabulary lists containing elegance
Our Town
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Cormac McCarthy's "The Road"
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"Novio Boy: Scene 7, Part 1" and "Oranges"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"A classical elegance – a couple incredibly atypical," it says.
From BBC • Apr. 9, 2026
Elizabeth’s daywear of utilitarian elegance spanned every color of the rainbow.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 9, 2026
Accessories include leather bags inspired by the sport duffel, and minimalist footwear — ranging from flats to slippers to kitten heels — for elegance at every occasion.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026
The listing describes the abode as a serene spot where “timeless elegance and modern convenience blend seamlessly in the heart of Beverly Hills.”
From MarketWatch • Feb. 5, 2026
I lowered myself into a chair near the door and stared defiantly at the elegance around me.
From "Ella Enchanted" by Gail Carson Levine
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
