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

Derived Forms

• ˈelegantly, adverb

Other Words From

• ele·gant·ly adverb
• hyper·ele·gant adjective
• hyper·ele·gant·ly adverb
• over·ele·gant adjective
• over·ele·gant·ly adverb
• super·ele·gant adjective
• super·ele·gant·ly adverb
• un·ele·gant adjective
• un·ele·gant·ly 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

"It was a stroke of luck for us to become aware of the creative potential of our partners in the Botanical Garden and Cluster of Excellence and to be able to develop this elegant bionic solution for a tangible clinical problem with them," says Dr. Claudius Stahl, co-author and specialist in anaesthesiology at the Medical Center -- University of Freiburg.

From Science Daily

The squad also boasted elegant batter Rusi Modi and promising debutant fast bowler Fazal Mahmood, adding a dynamic mix of experience and fresh talent.

From BBC

But the room was clearly thick with a lot of love and anticipation for Theophilio creative director Edvin Thompson’s always sensual, elegant and sometimes irreverent vision.

From Los Angeles Times

The potential of upcycling absolutely shines with Skovgaard’s tough yet elegant touch.

From Los Angeles Times

Federer - known for his effortless movement, his elegant one-handed backhand and calm aura - could not do the same to Nadal at his favoured Slam.

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