elegance
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
a quality of being graceful and attractive in appearance, style, or behavior.
the quality of being graceful and stylish in appearance or manner. Uncountable in this general sense.
Simple“The actress was famous for her natural elegance and her simple, expensive clothes.”
In context“The ballroom was decorated with understated elegance, avoiding the gaudy displays typical of such high-profile corporate events.”
SynonymsAntonymsclumsinessvulgarity - 02 C1 Advanced
the beauty of an idea or solution that is simple but works perfectly.
the quality of being pleasingly ingenious and simple; often used to describe mathematical proofs or software code.
Simple“Engineers admired the elegance of the new bridge design because it used very few parts.”
In context“The mathematician was praised for the elegance of his proof, which solved a century-old problem in just three pages.”
Teacher's tipThis sense is common in STEM fields to describe a solution that is both minimal and powerful.
SynonymsAntonyms - 03 C2 Proficiency
a refined or expensive thing or habit.
a specific refinement, luxury, or graceful act. Countable in this sense, though increasingly rare in modern speech.
Simple“In the old days, having fresh flowers every morning was one of her little elegances.”
In context“The memoir describes the vanished elegances of pre-war society, from formal afternoon tea to the meticulous dress codes of the era.”
UsageUsed as a countable noun in this sense.
Teacher's tipModern speakers rarely use the plural 'elegances'; it is mostly found in 19th-century literature.
Synonyms
From Middle French élégance, from Latin ēlegantia (“exquisiteness; refinement, elegance”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.