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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
Shreyas Laddha, Kansas City Star, 23 Feb. 2025
The grand staircase and circular bar seats are still filled with locals, artists, celebrities and the occasional royal primed for sizzling escargot, grilled sole with thyme and an epic wine list with a bit of coastal flair.
—Alissa Fitzgerald, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2025
The voice of Penguins hockey for nearly 50 years, Lange was more than an influential and beloved play-by-play announcer with a flair for the dramatic.
—Rob Rossi, The Athletic, 22 Feb. 2025
In the film, the monkey seems to have a flair for the dramatic, with frequent explosions of blood and viscera.
—Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 21 Feb. 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 27 Feb. 2025.
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flair
noun
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