elegant

[el-i-guh nt] /ˈɛl ɪ gənt/
adjective
1.
tastefully fine or luxurious in dress, style, design, etc.:
elegant furnishings.
2.
gracefully refined and dignified, as in tastes, habits, or literary style:
an elegant young gentleman; an elegant prosodist.
3.
graceful in form or movement:
an elegant wave of the hand.
4.
appropriate to refined taste:
a man devoted to elegant pursuits.
5.
excellent; fine; superior:
an absolutely elegant wine.
6.
(of scientific, technical, or mathematical theories, solutions, etc.) gracefully concise and simple; admirably succinct.
Origin
1400-50; late Middle English (< Middle French) < Latin ēlegant- (stem of ēlegāns) tasteful, choice, equivalent to ēleg- (akin to ēlig- select; see elect) + -ant- -ant; orig. present participle of lost v.
Related forms
elegantly, adverb
hyperelegant, adjective
hyperelegantly, adverb
overelegant, adjective
overelegantly, adverb
superelegant, adjective
superelegantly, adverb
unelegant, adjective
unelegantly, adverb
Can be confused
elegant, eloquent.
Synonyms
1. See fine1 . 2. polished, courtly.
Examples from the web for elegant
  • The secret: a beautiful and elegant form of crystal engineering.
  • He isn't handsome but he is rich enough to have an elegant car and a big diamond ring.
  • This brief book is elegant and surprising.
  • This is an elegant, disturbing and thought-provoking novel.
  • Evolution is an elegant theory.
  • The cobblestone streets, elegant quarry-stone buildings and flowered plazas invite travelers to share in their history.
  • He was considered both eccentric and elegant.
  • You are a very elegant writer (certainly better than me) and obviously intelligent.
  • Pierre wears elegant suits to news conferences and speaks in gentle tones.
  • This is, quite simply, a beautiful and elegant book.
British Dictionary definitions for elegant

elegant

/ˈɛlɪɡənt/
adjective
1.
tasteful in dress, style, or design
2.
dignified and graceful in appearance, behaviour, etc
3.
cleverly simple; ingenious: an elegant solution to a problem
Derived Forms
elegantly, adverb
Word Origin
C16: from Latin ēlegāns tasteful, related to ēligere to select; see elect
Word Origin and History for elegant
adj.

late 15c., from Middle French élégant (15c.), from Latin elegantem (nominative elegans) "choice, fine, tasteful," collateral form of present participle of eligere "select with care, choose." Elegans was originally a term of reproach, "dainty, fastidious;" the notion of "tastefully refined" emerged in classical Latin. Related: Elegantly.

elegant in Technology


(From Mathematics) Combining simplicity, power, and a certain ineffable grace of design. Higher praise than "clever", "winning" or even cuspy.
The French aviator, adventurer, and author Antoine de Saint-Exup'ery, probably best known for his classic children's book "The Little Prince", was also an aircraft designer. He gave us perhaps the best definition of engineering elegance when he said "A designer knows he has achieved perfection not when there is nothing left to add, but when there is nothing left to take away."
[Jargon File]
(1994-11-29)