Meaning & use
elegance
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Meanings
noununcountable
Graceful, stylish beauty in the way someone looks, moves or dresses.
Grammar: Uncountable: she dressed with elegance, not an elegance.
Patterns
- with elegance
- the elegance of something
She moved across the room with quiet elegance.
The hotel is known for its old-world elegance.
He dressed with understated elegance.
noununcountable
Simplicity and cleverness in the design or solution of something, such as a proof or a plan.
Grammar: Uncountable and used for ideas: the elegance of the solution.
Patterns
- the elegance of something
Mathematicians admire the elegance of the proof.
The elegance of the design lies in its few moving parts.
Her plan had a pleasing elegance that others lacked.
noununcountableformal
A refined, dignified way of speaking or writing.
Grammar: Uncountable and mostly used with writing: elegance of style.
Patterns
- elegance of style
- elegance of expression
The essay is admired for the elegance of its prose.
He spoke with great elegance and charm.
Her letters show a rare elegance of expression.
Common combinations
- timeless elegance
- The black dress has a timeless elegance.
- understated elegance
- The room has an understated elegance.
- with elegance
- The dancer landed with elegance.
- simple elegance
- The simple elegance of the logo makes it memorable.
- mathematical elegance
- The result has a mathematical elegance.
Synonyms and how they differ
- grace
- Grace refers to smooth, beautiful movement, while elegance also covers clothing and design.
- refinement
- Refinement suggests good manners and taste, often from education or careful polish.
- style
- Style is broader and can be any distinctive way of doing something, not necessarily graceful.
- sophistication
- Sophistication suggests worldly knowledge as well as taste, while elegance is more about beauty and ease.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: elegance or eloquence?
elegance vs eloquence
Eloquence is skill in speaking persuasively, while elegance is graceful style of any kind.
Practice
The mathematician praised the ___ of the proof, which solved the problem in just three lines.
Choose one answer.
Elegance means clever simplicity, which fits a short proof. Eloquence is about persuasive speech and does not describe a proof.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “elegance”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.