elegant
EL-i-gunt
/ˈɛl.ɪ.ɡənt/
Graceful and stylish in appearance or manner; pleasingly ingenious and simple.
Elegant can describe physical appearance, behavior, or even a solution to a problem. It implies a refined simplicity rather than flashy ornament.
The story behind the word. Elegant comes from the Latin 'eligere', meaning 'to choose'. Originally, an elegant person was someone who was highly selective and fastidious in their choices, which eventually evolved into having refined taste.
Word relationships
- graceful: Graceful emphasizes smooth, beautiful movement, while elegant encompasses style, taste, and intellectual simplicity.
- refined: Refined suggests the removal of impurities or vulgarity, whereas elegant focuses on the positive presence of style and grace.
- clumsy: Clumsy refers to awkward movement or poorly executed design, lacking any grace.
- gaudy: Gaudy means extravagantly bright or showy, typically so as to be tasteless.
Commonly confused with
- eloquent: Eloquent refers to fluent, persuasive speaking or writing, while elegant refers to grace and style in appearance or design.
Word family
- elegance (noun): The quality of being graceful and stylish.
- elegantly (adverb): In a graceful and stylish manner.
Collocations
- elegant solution
- elegant design
- elegant prose
- effortlessly elegant
Example sentences
- "She wore an elegant black dress that stood out for its simple lines and perfect tailoring." Describing a person's style
- "The mathematician presented an elegant proof that solved the complex theorem in just three steps." Describing a scientific solution
Memory hook
An 'elegant' person is someone who knows how to 'elect' (choose) the best style without overdoing it. Elegant is effortlessly tasteful.
When not to use
Do not use 'elegant' for things that are overly busy, loud, or heavily decorated. True elegance is restrained.
Fun facts
- In computer programming, an 'elegant' piece of code is one that achieves its task using the fewest possible lines of code in the most logical way.
Related words
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