Montreal is a city noted for its … European flair—Bruce Minorgan
Did you know?
In the 14th century, if someone told you that you had flair (or flayre as it was then commonly spelled), you might very well take offense. This is because in Middle English flayre meant "an odor." The word is derived from the Old French verb flairier ("to give off an odor"), which came, in turn, from Late Latin flagrare, itself an alteration of fragrare. (The English words fragrant and fragrance also derive from fragrare.) The "odor" sense of flair fell out of use, but in the 19th century, English speakers once again borrowed flair from the French—this time (influenced by the Modern French use of the word for the sense of smell) to indicate a discriminating sense or instinctive discernment.
a restaurant with a European flair
a person with a flair for making friends quickly
Recent Examples on the WebTo add cultural flair to your home, stop by Oyster House Antiques, which specializes in traditional antique furniture that the owner hand-selects during trips to China.—Jennifer Prince, Southern Living, 19 Oct. 2024 Crafted with your sense of style, these bespoke boots will elevate your look and add Western flair.—Jim Dobson, Forbes, 16 Oct. 2024 Features like zippered pockets add functional flair and the stand collar provide extra coziness.—Kristine Solomon, Travel + Leisure, 15 Oct. 2024 Add their Workwear Style Jacket and Dreamer’s Win Graphic Tee Shirt to your everyday rotation to add meaningful flair to your wardrobe.—Meghan Mahar, Billboard, 11 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for flair
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'flair.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
French, literally, sense of smell, from Old French, odor, from flairier to give off an odor, from Late Latin flagrare, alteration of Latin fragrare
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