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elegance

elegance

47 3.5
A graceful, stylish way of looking or behaving that shows good taste
  • noun
  • /ˈɛlɪɡəns/
translation icon : elegancia
  • Her gown was the epitome of elegance, flowing beautifully as she entered the room.
  • beauty and elegance
  • grace and elegance
  • refinement and elegance

And this is the height of style, elegance and translucency.

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Examples

  • Where in New York can one find a woman with grace, elegance, taste and culture?

  • Antonietta was a tiny girl with innate elegance and pride that exceeded even her mother's.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • So what, what is it about that elegance that you just find compelling?

  • Oh, baby, simple elegance is something to strive for.

  • The elegance of her outfit, the style of his game ...

  • Also, because they were the first family, Coretta Scott King was always presented with such elegance and class.

  • Therefore, the prosperity and elegance of the culture in Japan are far superior to that of our state.

    Academic text (2015)
  • Yet that hand had a graceful elegance with the tools of his trade.

    Fiction book (1995)
  • All the furniture was carefully chosen for its subdued elegance and feeling for tradition.

    Academic text (1995)
  • A lover of beauty, he wished to make his lifework into a thing of elegance and grace.

    Academic text (1998)

Synonyms

beauty
vselegance
847 1.0

A combination of qualities like shape and color that pleases the eye

is narrower, focusing on graceful style and refined manner rather than broad visual appeal
class
vselegance
690 4.8

A polite, stylish way of acting or dressing

is the general aesthetic quality of refined stylishness rather than social rank
charm
vselegance
254 1.7

A pleasant quality that makes people like a person or place

is less about delight and more about refined, stylish appearance and manner
grace
vselegance
172 2.6

A smooth, attractive way of moving or behaving

is more general, covering overall refined stylishness beyond movement
gentility
vselegance
4 7.9

Polite and elegant behavior that shows high social standing

is the aesthetic quality of graceful style rather than social behavioral polish
gorgeousness
vselegance
1 3.9

A state of being very beautiful or attractive

is subtler, referring to refined grace rather than strong visual impact
grace and poise
vselegance
1 3.9

A calm, elegant way of moving and behaving

focuses more broadly on refined stylishness rather than only composed bearing
urbanity
vselegance
  • Formal
1 7.9

A polite, calm, and stylish way of behaving common in cities

is more about aesthetic beauty and graceful style than urban manners
exquisiteness
vselegance
1 7.1

A very great beauty shown in delicate detail

is less extreme, meaning general graceful and stylish quality
classiness
vselegance
1 4.1

A quality of being elegant, stylish, and showing good taste

is the basic idea of refined beauty without social connotations
daintiness
vselegance
1 6.8

A delicate, pretty quality that shows care and grace

is broader, meaning general refined and stylish beauty rather than small delicacy
tastefulness
vselegance
1 4.5

A sense of good style in clothes, design, or manners

is the general sense of refined beauty rather than only good taste
stylishness
vselegance
1 3.6

A quality of being fashionable and attractive

is broader, covering timeless refined beauty beyond momentary fashion
chicness
vselegance
1 6.5

Being stylish and elegant in a simple way

is more timeless, meaning refined beauty not tied to current fashion
beauteousness
vselegance
  • Archaic
1 8.4

How beautiful something looks

is more about refined stylish manner and taste than raw attractiveness
gracility
vselegance
8.6

A light, elegant quality in movement or expression

is wider, covering refined looks and manner as well as movement
poshness
vselegance
  • Informal
6.3

A style that seems elegant and upper class

is the basic refined grace and stylishness without necessarily implying class
genteelness
vselegance
8.5

A polite, graceful way of behaving, speaking, and dressing

is focused on refined beauty and style rather than social politeness
smartness
vselegance
3.6

A clean, stylish way of dressing

is broader, covering refined beauty in manner and overall style
dressiness
vselegance
4.5

A way of wearing clothes that is formal and stylish for special occasions

is more general, meaning refined stylish quality beyond formal dress

Antonyms

1 2.6

Lack of skill or care when handling things so mistakes happen

A lack of grace, good taste, or neatness

Compounds

A small detail that makes something look beautiful and special

A graceful, balanced design in a building that looks simple and beautiful

9.9

A style that mixes fancy, expensive things with cheap or rude items

How Elegant

elegance
47 3.5
style
3.4
neatness
7 1.0
plainness
1 3.5

Surface Forms

elegance singular
elegances plural

Morphology

elegance = elegant (transparent) = elegant + ance

Derived by productive English suffixation from 'elegant' to form a noun meaning the quality of being elegant, which is directly predictable.

Etymology

Elegance comes from the Latin elegans, from eligere 'to choose', and is like the English word select. So think of elegance as a 'chosen' style — simple, careful choices in dress or movement that make something look graceful and refined.