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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.
Examples of flair in a Sentence
Jon Stojan, Forbes.com, 9 June 2025
Burrow range 2-piece sofa Burrow index desk Oka Founded in the UK by three friends, interiors brand OKA is bringing a bit of British flair to customers around the world.
—Erika Owen, Vogue, 6 June 2025
The lie revealed a flair for self-mythologizing already evident in his choice of a stage name: Born William Jeffreys, the singer chose to use his middle name, Garland, to sound more exotic.
—Jim Farber, Rolling Stone, 5 June 2025
And that's mostly due to White's bold flair — and love for a little glitter!
—Michelle Lee, People.com, 4 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for flair
Cite this Entry
“Flair.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flair. Accessed 14 Jun. 2025.
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flair
noun
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