# elegance

/ˈɛɫəɡəns/ (US) · /ˈɛlɪɡəns/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/elegance
Updated: 2026-08-08

## Senses

### 1. grace and style

noun · CEFR B2

a quality of being graceful and attractive in appearance, style, or behavior.

For teachers: the quality of being graceful and stylish in appearance or manner. Uncountable in this general sense.

- The actress was famous for her natural elegance and her simple, expensive clothes.
- The ballroom was decorated with understated elegance, avoiding the gaudy displays typical of such high-profile corporate events.

### 2. simple and clever

noun · CEFR C1 · Academic

the beauty of an idea or solution that is simple but works perfectly.

For teachers: the quality of being pleasingly ingenious and simple; often used to describe mathematical proofs or software code.

- Engineers admired the elegance of the new bridge design because it used very few parts.
- The mathematician was praised for the elegance of his proof, which solved a century-old problem in just three pages.

Teaching tip: This sense is common in STEM fields to describe a solution that is both minimal and powerful.

### 3. a luxury

noun · CEFR C2 · Archaic · Literary

a refined or expensive thing or habit.

For teachers: a specific refinement, luxury, or graceful act. Countable in this sense, though increasingly rare in modern speech.

- In the old days, having fresh flowers every morning was one of her little elegances.
- The memoir describes the vanished elegances of pre-war society, from formal afternoon tea to the meticulous dress codes of the era.

Usage: Used as a countable noun in this sense.

Teaching tip: Modern speakers rarely use the plural 'elegances'; it is mostly found in 19th-century literature.

## Examples

- She is known for the quiet elegance of her clothes.
- The architect was praised for the structural elegance of the bridge, which used minimal materials to achieve maximum strength.
- Mathematical elegance is often found in proofs that reach a profound conclusion through a series of surprisingly simple and logical steps.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.