esprit

[e-spree] /ɛˈspri/
noun
1.
sprightliness of spirit or wit; lively intelligence.
Origin
1585-95; < French < Latin spīritus spirit
Examples from the web for esprit
  • For me that explains the swaggering esprit de corps so often commented on by impressed visitors.
  • He certainly feels no less esprit de corps because of it.
  • The fierceness and esprit in the military itself cannot compare.
  • He made a point of extolling the new chief for restoring the esprit de corps.
  • The film wholly missed fashion's sincerity and esprit de corps.
  • Most of the large outfits have struggled to create an esprit de corps.
  • At first you find this uplifting, in a back-stage-y, esprit de corps sort of way.
  • The event brought in television crews and local officials in a festive show of esprit de corps.
  • The ultimate payoff of this esprit de corps was a headlong aggressiveness that won battles.
British Dictionary definitions for esprit

esprit

/ɛˈspriː/
noun
1.
spirit and liveliness, esp in wit
Word Origin
C16: from French, from Latin spīritus a breathing, spirit1
Word Origin and History for esprit
n.

1590s, from Middle French esprit "spirit, mind," from Old French espirit, from Latin spiritus "spirit" (see spirit).

For initial e-, see especial. Esprit de corps first recorded 1780. French also has the excellent phrase esprit de l'escalier, literally "spirit of the staircase," defined in OED as, "a retort or remark that occurs to a person after the opportunity to make it has passed." It also has espirit fort, a "strong-minded" person, one independent of current prejudices, especially a freethinker in religion.

esprit in Technology


European Strategic Programme for Research in Information Technology