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bel esprit

[ bel es-pree ]
/ bɛl ɛsˈpri /
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noun, plural beaux es·prits [boh zes-pree]. /boʊ zɛsˈpri/. French.
a person of great wit or intellect: He found this charming bel esprit, not among his university colleagues, but in the person of a young widow on the outskirts of town.
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Sometimes bel-es·prit .

Origin of bel esprit

First recorded in 1630–40; French: literally, “fine mind, wittiness”
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use bel esprit in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for bel esprit

bel esprit
/ French (bɛl ɛspri) /

noun plural beaux esprits (boz ɛspri)
a witty or clever person

Word Origin for bel esprit

literally: fine wit
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
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