English Meaning & Definitions
Pleasingly graceful and stylish in appearance or manner.
- “She wore an elegant black evening gown to the gala.”
- “His movements on the dance floor were remarkably elegant.”
(Of a scientific theory, plan, or solution) brilliantly simple and effective.
- “The physicist proposed an elegant solution to the complex mathematical problem.”
- “The software's architecture is both simple and elegant.”
English Synonyms & Near Equivalents
Comprehensive Thesaurus Breakdown
Compare formal, informal, literary synonyms and register nuances for “elegant”.
Derived from the Latin 'elegans', present participle of 'eligere' meaning 'to select or choose' (from 'e-' out + 'legere' to pick/choose). Originally implying a capacity for discerning choice or fastidious taste, the meaning evolved in French and English by the 16th century to denote refined grace in appearance, style, or manner.
Think of an elephant that is surprisingly graceful and refined — an 'elegant elephant'.
Frequently Asked Questions About “elegant”
1. What is the meaning of “elegant” in English?
In English, elegant (adjective) is defined as: “Pleasingly graceful and stylish in appearance or manner.”.
2. How do you use “elegant” in a sentence?
“She wore an elegant black evening gown to the gala.”
3. What are English synonyms of “elegant”?
4. What is the etymology and word origin of “elegant”?
Derived from the Latin 'elegans', present participle of 'eligere' meaning 'to select or choose' (from 'e-' out + 'legere' to pick/choose). Originally implying a capacity for discerning choice or fastidious taste, the meaning evolved in French and English by the 16th century to denote refined grace in appearance, style, or manner.
🇬🇧More English Words to English
View all English words →The base unit of time in the International System of Units (SI), equal to the duration of 9,192,631,770 periods of the radiation corresponding to the transition between the two hyperfine levels of the ground state of the caesium-133 atom.
A specific duration of time equal to one hour and forty-six minutes and twelve seconds.
The cardinal number equal to one thousand million (1,000,000,000), expressed in scientific notation as 10^9.
A specific duration of time equivalent to one hour and forty-six minutes.