aplomb

[uh-plom, uh-pluhm]

noun

1. imperturbable self-possession, poise, or assurance.

   Synonyms: imperturbability, equanimity, composure
   Antonyms: uncertainty, doubt, discomposure, confusion

2. the perpendicular, or vertical, position.

aplomb

/ əˈplɒm /

noun

1. equanimity, self-confidence, or self-possession

Word History and Origins

Origin of aplomb¹

First recorded in 1820–30; from French à plomb “according to the plummet” (straight up and down, vertical position); plumb ( def. )

Word History and Origins

Origin of aplomb¹

C18: from French: rectitude, uprightness, from à plomb according to the plumb line, vertically

Example Sentences

The city that Tom Bradley has led with impassive aplomb for 17 years is frayed at the edges, with aging sewers and inadequate housing stock.

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Bush handled the maneuver with aplomb and succeeded Ronald Reagan.

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The courtly gentleman guided women around the floor to big band standards with all the aplomb of teenage boys waltzing at a cotillion dance they’ve been forced to attend by their parents.

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“The unflappable Pointer sails above the general mayhem with a ladylike aplomb that makes her subsequent emotional epiphany all the more moving,” The Times wrote about Pointer’s performance in that show.

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Olsen in particular registers the cracks in the veneer of a smart, good yet questioning soul with aplomb.

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Related Words

• equanimity 
• nonchalance 
• tact