Elegance

Elegance
Elegance El"e*gance, Elegancy El"e*gan*cy, n. [L. elegantia, fr. elegans, -antis, elegant: cf. F. ['e]l['e]gance.] 1. The state or quality of being elegant; beauty as resulting from choice qualities and the complete absence of what deforms or impresses unpleasantly; grace given by art or practice; fine polish; refinement; -- said of manners, language, style, form, architecture, etc. [1913 Webster]

That grace that elegance affords. --Drayton. [1913 Webster]

The endearing elegance of female friendship. --Johnson. [1913 Webster]

A trait of native elegance, seldom seen in the masculine character after childhood or early youth, was shown in the General's fondness for the sight and fragrance of flowers. --Hawthorne. [1913 Webster]

2. That which is elegant; that which is tasteful and highly attractive. [1913 Webster]

The beautiful wildness of nature, without the nicer elegancies of art. --Spectator.

Syn: {Elegance}, {Grace}. Elegance implies something of a select style of beauty, which is usually produced by art, skill, or training; as, elegance of manners, composition, handwriting, etc.; elegant furniture; an elegant house, etc. Grace, as the word is here used, refers to bodily movements, and is a lower order of beauty. It may be a natural gift; thus, the manners of a peasant girl may be graceful, but can hardly be called elegant. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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  • élégance — [ elegɑ̃s ] n. f. • fin XIVe; lat. elegantia 1 ♦ Qualité esthétique qu on reconnaît à certaines formes naturelles ou créées par l homme dont la perfection est faite de grâce et de simplicité. Élégance des formes, des proportions. L élégance d un… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • Elégance — Paris Rechtsform GmbH Gründung 1938 Sitz …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • élégance — ÉLÉGANCE. s. f. Choix de mots et de tours, d où résultent la grâce et la facilité du langàge. Parler avec élégance. Sans élégance. Élégance sans affectation. L élégance du style. f♛/b] On appelle aussi Élégance, Un certain goût fin et délicat qui …   Dictionnaire de l'Académie Française 1798

  • elegance — elegance, grace, dignity are comparable only when they denote an impressive beauty of form, appearance, or behavior. Elegance is used in reference to persons chiefly when their grooming, their clothes, and the way they wear them are specifically… …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • elegance — Elegance. s. f. Ornement, politesse de langage. Parler avec elegance, sans elegance. elegance sans affectation …   Dictionnaire de l'Académie française

  • elegance — n. pl. elegancies [el′ə gəns] n. [Fr élégance < L elegantia] 1. the quality of being elegant; specif., a) dignified richness and grace, as of design b) polished fastidiousness or refined grace, as in manners c) clever aptness and simplicity …   English World dictionary

  • elegance — c.1500, “tastefulness, correctness, harmoniousness, refinement,” of speech or prose, from M.Fr. élégance, from L. elegantia taste, propriety, refinement, from elegantem (see ELEGANT (Cf. elegant)). Earlier form was elegancy (early 15c.).… …   Etymology dictionary

  • elegance — Elegance, Elegantia. Parler sans elegance, Horride dicere, siue inculte …   Thresor de la langue françoyse

  • elegance — index propriety (correctness) Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 …   Law dictionary

  • elegance — [n] cultivated beauty, taste breeding, charm, class, courtliness, cultivation, culture, delicacy, dignity, discernment, distinction, exquisiteness, felicity, gentility, good taste, grace, gracefulness, grandeur, hauteur, lushness, luxury,… …   New thesaurus

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