elegant

adjective

el·​e·​gant ˈe-li-gənt How to pronounce elegant (audio)
Synonyms of elegantnext
1
: marked by elegance
elegant clothes
an elegant solution
2
: of a high grade or quality : splendid
elegant gems priced at hundreds of thousands of dollars
elegantly adverb

Synonyms

See all Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus 
Choose the Right Synonym for elegant

choice, exquisite, elegant, rare, delicate, dainty mean having qualities that appeal to a cultivated taste.

choice stresses preeminence in quality or kind.

choice fabric

exquisite implies a perfection in workmanship or design that appeals only to very sensitive taste.

an exquisite gold bracelet

elegant applies to what is rich and luxurious but restrained by good taste.

a sumptuous but elegant dining room

rare suggests an uncommon excellence.

rare beauty

delicate implies exquisiteness, subtlety, and fragility.

delicate craftsmanship

dainty sometimes carries an additional suggestion of smallness and of appeal to the eye or palate.

dainty sandwiches

Examples of elegant in a Sentence

an elegant solution to the problem the most elegant First Lady in the nation's history
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The crowd of songwriters, publishers and other industry members, all garbed in suits and elegant dresses, immediately rose to their feet, clapping and singing along to Owen’s lyrics of flowing rivers, rustic Cajun hideaways and playing baseball with chert rocks. —Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 20 Nov. 2024 The vertical stitching looks clean and elegant, and is meant to prevent wrinkles. —Erika Owen, Architectural Digest, 18 Nov. 2024 Simple and elegant, this knit skirt shares the same pencil silhouette as this $1,180 designer one. —Kelsey Glennon, Travel + Leisure, 6 Nov. 2024 Boxwood Boxwood's compact form is simple and elegant. —Claire Hoppe Norgaard, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for elegant 

Word History

Etymology

Middle French or Latin; Middle French, from Latin elegant-, elegans; akin to Latin eligere to select — more at elect

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of elegant was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near elegant

elegancy

elegant

elegante

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Elegant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/elegant. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.

Copy Citation

Share

Kids Definition

elegant

adjective
el·​e·​gant ˈel-i-gənt How to pronounce elegant (audio)
1
: having or showing elegance
2
: of excellent quality : splendid
elegantly adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on elegant

Nglish: Translation of elegant for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of elegant for Arabic Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See All

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Plural and Possessive Names: A Guide

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See All

Popular in Wordplay

See All

Terroir, Oenophile, & Magnum: Ten Words About Wine

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments

10 Words from Taylor Swift Songs (Merriam's Version)

9 Superb Owl Words

15 Words That Used to Mean Something Different
See All

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
sweet smart pug puppy dog sitting in front of blackboard with chalk question marks
Commonly Confused Words Quiz Vol. 3 Do you have a (flare/flair) for choosing the righ...