Dictionary.com

aplomb

[ uh-plom, uh-pluhm ]
/ əˈplɒm, əˈplʌm /
Save This Word!

noun
imperturbable self-possession, poise, or assurance.
the perpendicular, or vertical, position.
QUIZ
CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?
There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?
Question 1 of 7
Which sentence is correct?

Origin of aplomb

First recorded in 1820–30, aplomb is from French à plomb “according to the plummet,” i.e., straight up and down, vertical position
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use aplomb in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for aplomb

aplomb
/ (əˈplɒm) /

noun
equanimity, self-confidence, or self-possession

Word Origin for aplomb

C18: from French: rectitude, uprightness, from à plomb according to the plumb line, vertically
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
FEEDBACK