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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
Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 May 2026
It’s made from iron, has an antique-looking bronze finish, and is designed with a cut-out floral pattern for a touch of flair.
—Alicia Geigel, Southern Living, 6 May 2026
For all the attacking flair and brilliance that Desire Doué, Ousmane Dembélé and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia possess, their enthusiasm and tenacity to defend from the front makes this team almost suffocating to come up against.
—Aleks Klosok, CNN Money, 6 May 2026
While light on flair compared to contemporary All-Star sneakers, the shoe features a unique gradient toe detail that appears brighter at the tip.
—Riley Jones, Footwear News, 6 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for flair
Cite this Entry
“Flair.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flair. Accessed 9 May. 2026.
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flair
noun
