elegant

[el-i-guhnt]

adjective

1. tastefully fine or luxurious in dress, style, design, etc..

   elegant furnishings.

2. gracefully refined and dignified, as in tastes, habits, or literary style.

   an elegant young gentleman; an elegant prosodist.

   Synonyms: courtly, polished

3. graceful in form or movement.

   an elegant wave of the hand.

4. appropriate to refined taste.

   a man devoted to elegant pursuits.

5. excellent; fine; superior.

   an absolutely elegant wine.

6. (of scientific, technical, or mathematical theories, solutions, etc.) gracefully concise and simple; admirably succinct.

elegant

/ ˈɛlɪɡənt /

adjective

1. tasteful in dress, style, or design

2. dignified and graceful in appearance, behaviour, etc

3. cleverly simple; ingenious

   an elegant solution to a problem

Other Word Forms

• elegantly adverb
• hyperelegant adjective
• hyperelegantly adverb
• overelegant adjective
• overelegantly adverb
• superelegant adjective
• superelegantly adverb
• unelegant adjective
• unelegantly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of elegant¹

First recorded in 1400–50; Late Middle English (from Middle French ), from Latin ēlegant- (stem of ēlegāns ) “tasteful, choice,” equivalent to ēleg- (akin to ēlig- “select”) + -ant- a suffix forming adjectives from verbs; originally the present participle of ēlegāre (unattested); elect, -ant

Word History and Origins

Origin of elegant¹

C16: from Latin ēlegāns tasteful, related to ēligere to select; see _elect

Synonym Study

See fine ¹.

Example Sentences

He said: "I would consider it relatively, potentially not the most elegant move. But sometimes racing doesn't necessarily require elegance as long as you operate within the principles and the rules of the team."

From BBC

I don’t think my love for lychees and the elegant lychee martini will ever fade.

From Salon

She was best known to most of the public as the elegant woman who presented the trophies at Wimbledon each year, once famously having to comfort a distraught losing finalist.

From BBC

Century City, L.A.’s hottest and most expensive office rental market, known for its elegant office towers full of financial companies and lawyers, is performing better than most, Pion said.

From Los Angeles Times

It's simply gorgeous, with its elegant curves and simplicity, as good an example as it is possible to get of "form follows function".

From BBC

Related Words

• chic 
• classic 
• delicate 
• dignified 
• exquisite 
• fancy 
• fashionable 
• graceful 
• grand 
• handsome 
• luxurious 
• neat 
• opulent 
• ornate 
• polished 
• refined 
• silk-stocking 
• simple 
• stately 
• stylish