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.

Related Words

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