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

For me, it doesn’t get much more elegant than being able to get a total-body workout with one tool.

From Ozy

The new method skirts the traditional mathematical slog by directly computing “intersection numbers,” which some hope could eventually lead to a more elegant description of the subatomic world.

From Quanta Magazine

He had been strolling, too, when he had lost track of his surroundings and strayed into a neighborhood of elegant columned houses.

From MIT Technology Review

In recent decades it has taken on a more elegant guise, first with physical robots in production plants, and more recently with software automation entering most offices.

From Singularity Hub 

It will be populated by elegant, minimalist 3D-printed smart homes called Minka houses, created by noted geriatrician Bill Thomas.

From Quartz

I did a piece for Elle about the effort to remake her into an elegant presence fashion-wise.

From The Daily Beast

It was the last really elegant shop of it kind left in Manhattan.

From The Daily Beast

Perhaps, like Hawking searching for his elegant equation, filmmakers will never find the answer.

From The Daily Beast

They seem to have service for eight of these elegant blue-and-white plates.

From The Daily Beast

But many spirits experts have long lauded Japanese whiskies as formidable—even the most elegant—drams.

From The Daily Beast

But it greatly equalizes and strengthens the fingers, and makes your execution smooth and elegant.

From Project Gutenberg

Mrs. Pell was a very elegant and accomplished woman; her manners were the theme of universal admiration in our neighbourhood.

From Project Gutenberg

Neither are there any terraces and verandahs adorned with elegant trellis-work and flowers, as there are in other warm countries.

From Project Gutenberg

He knew that this elegant city, resplendent and glorious in the sheen of the setting sun, would soon be a living hell.

From Project Gutenberg

The snuff-boxes of this period were very elegant and were decorated with elaborate paintings or set with gems.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

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