plural bons vivants ˌbän-vē-ˈvän(t)s How to pronounce bon vivant (audio)
ˌbōⁿ-vē-ˈväⁿ(z)
or bon vivants ˌbän-vē-ˈvän(t)s How to pronounce bon vivant (audio)
ˌbōⁿ-vē-ˈväⁿ(z)
: a sociable person who has cultivated and refined tastes especially with respect to food and drink
She has become a bon vivant since moving to the city.

Did you know?

Do you consider yourself a bon vivant? If you’re not sure, perhaps a peek into the word’s origin will help. In French, the phrase literally means “good liver.” Fear not if you are among those who are underinformed about the state of their liver. The “liver” here is not the bodily organ, but one who lives; a bon vivant is one who lives well. English speakers have used bon vivant since the late 17th century to refer specifically to those who subscribe to a particular kind of good living—one that involves lots of social engagements and the enjoyment of fancy food and drink. This puts the term very much in the company of some other French words. Gourmet, gourmand, and gastronome all refer to those who love a fancy meal (though gourmand often carries the connotation of a tendency to overindulge). Bon appétit!

Examples of bon vivant in a Sentence

In addition to being a renowned travel writer, he was a bon vivant who loves to hold dinner parties and serve exquisite, elaborate meals.
Recent Examples on the Web Juliette Binoche stars and is entrancing as ever as 19th-century French chef Eugenie, a culinary wonder who creates gastronomical inspirations with the support of bon vivant Dodin (Benoit Magimel). Randy Myers, The Mercury News, 14 Feb. 2024 This innovative jazz-age pianist, songwriter and Harlem bon vivant had skills as oversized as the 300-pound personage that stamped him with the nickname he is remembered by. Christopher Smith, Orange County Register, 29 Jan. 2024 Horst was a bon vivant, Huene a puritanical aesthete. Christian House, CNN, 7 Feb. 2024 That’s Leonard Bernstein (Bradley Cooper), who, in his late 20s, has already been many successful things: pianist, composer, teacher, seducer, bon vivant and, of course, conductor. Justin Chang, Los Angeles Times, 21 Nov. 2023 There’s director and bon vivant Paul Feig, the focus of The Answers this month; another who does things his way and looks good doing it. Paul Croughton, Robb Report, 22 Oct. 2023 Parisian bon vivant, World War II resistance fighter, Nobel Prize-winning playwright, philandering husband and recluse, Beckett lived a life of many parts. Leo Barraclough, Variety, 21 Sep. 2023 There, his story caught the attention of Benjamin Perley Poore, a journalist, diplomat and bon vivant Washington insider. Robert Pushkar, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 Sep. 2023 But now there’s molten-honey lighting, curvaceous banquettes ideal for table-hopping, and walls adorned with whimsical murals of bons vivants in various states of lust and play. Helen Rosner, The New Yorker, 10 Sep. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bon vivant.' 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, good liver

First Known Use

1674, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of bon vivant was in 1674

Podcast

Dictionary Entries Near bon vivant

Cite this Entry

“Bon vivant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bon%20vivant. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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