savoir-faire
[ sav-wahr-fair; French sa-vwar-fer ]
/ ˈsæv wɑrˈfɛər; French sa vwarˈfɛr /
noun
knowledge of just what to do in any situation; tact.
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Origin of savoir-faire
1805–15; < French: literally, knowing how to do
SYNONYMS FOR savoir-faire
Words nearby savoir-faire
savior, saviour, savitskaya, savoie, savoir faire, savoir-faire, savoir-vivre, savona, savonarola, savonarola chair, savonarola, girolamo
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020
British Dictionary definitions for savoir faire
savoir-faire
/ (ˈsævwɑːˈfɛə) /
noun
the ability to do the right thing in any situation
Word Origin for savoir-faire
French, literally: a knowing how to do
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
Cultural definitions for savoir faire
savoir faire
[ (sav-wahr fair) ]
Ease and dexterity in social and practical affairs: “Peter is a friendly person, but he lacks the savoir faire required for a successful career in the foreign service.” From French, meaning “to know how to act.”
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.