noun
-
dignified grace in appearance, movement, or behaviour
-
good taste in design, style, arrangement, etc
-
something elegant; a refinement
Other Word Forms
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
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Cormac McCarthy's "The Road"
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
"Novio Boy: Scene 7, Part 1" and "Oranges"
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
One said the show has "gone from iconic glamour to an influencer circus" and they felt "social media clout and performative inclusivity have replaced real modeling talent, elegance, and runway presence".
From BBC ● Oct. 19, 2026
As the picture of Swiss elegance and killer performance, Roger Federer was the natural face of On.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 3, 2026
“Live like a star in this legendary estate where timeless elegance meets Hollywood prestige.”
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 29, 2026
And yet, Steinem’s combination of eloquence, elegance and determination contributed to her singular ability to push the fight for women’s equality into the mainstream.
From Salon ● Sep. 3, 2026
‘Dorcas isn’t going to get much of that elegance she was always out after from Frizel, Junior.’
From "Johnny Tremain" by Esther Hoskins Forbes
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.
