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 WebAddress: 64 Tung Choi St, Mong Kok, Hong Kong
Courtesy of Midwest Vintage
Midwest Vintage
As its name suggests, Midwest Vintage has a bit of an Americana flair.—Lilah Ramzi, Vogue, 22 Apr. 2024 Lauper, meanwhile, kept it chic in all black, her top's white ruffle sleeves adding a touch of flair.—Dave Quinn, Peoplemag, 20 Apr. 2024 Twelve hundred miles south, in Miami, the Heat’s Kaseya Center delivers a VIP experience with decidedly South Beach flair.—John Vorwald, Robb Report, 20 Apr. 2024 But while Ritchie infused the story with his own flair (and predilection for improvisation), the outlines of the mission itself are depicted more or less accurately.—Emily Zemler, Los Angeles Times, 19 Apr. 2024 Leaks already point to the iPhone 16 being chock full of Samsung-like flair with Cupertino’s take on AI.—Florence Ion / Gizmodo, Quartz, 16 Apr. 2024 Disc two is even better: the affecting melodic richness of Fish’s autobiographical Misplaced Childhood, performed with flair and precision during a 1986 London gig.—Ernesto Lechner, SPIN, 11 Apr. 2024 This two-toned set from Amazon adds a bit of fashion flair to the typical spring formula without sacrificing comfort.—Averi Baudler, Peoplemag, 11 Apr. 2024 Jones layers on the realism with the inconspicuous flair of a great portrait painter, who can capture the soul of a subject through the cut of her dress and the glint of intent in her eyes.—Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2024
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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