chic

1 of 2

noun

1
: smart elegance and sophistication especially of dress or manner : style
wears her clothes with superb chic
2
: a distinctive mode of dress or manner associated with a fashionable lifestyle, ideology, or pursuit
wearing the latest in urban chic
New Age chic
3
: a faddishly popular quality or appeal
also : something (such as a practice or interest) having such appeal
the transient tides of academic chic Irving Kristol

chic

2 of 2

adjective

chicer; chicest
1
: cleverly stylish : smart
the woman who is chic adapts fashion to her own personalityElizabeth L. Post
2
: currently fashionable
a chic restaurant
chic boutiques
chicly adverb
chicness noun

Examples of chic in a Sentence

Noun It's the height of chic this year. mockumentaries are the latest filmmaking chic Adjective The café has a chic new look. a chic new hairstyle that makes her look very sophisticated
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Preppy chic wasn’t much of a thing in that neighborhood, though. Hilton Als, New Yorker, 30 June 2025 In the 1990s, heroin chic surged in popularity as women flooded law schools, boardrooms, and newsrooms in record numbers — a visual counterpunch to female ambition. Anne Marie Chaker, Time, 18 June 2025
Adjective
For a minimalist, chic hideaway, stay at Le Cameleon Boutique Hotel, with its 23 remarkably white rooms. AFAR Media, 11 July 2025 And a historic aristocratic club turned chic boutique hotel is the place to stay. Melissa Kravitz Hoeffner, Forbes.com, 11 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for chic

Word History

Etymology

Noun

French

Adjective

probably from attributive use of chic entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

1851, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1865, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of chic was in 1851

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Chic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chic. Accessed 14 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

chic

1 of 2 noun
: fashionable style

chic

2 of 2 adjective
chicer; chicest
: stylish, smart
chic clothes

More from Merriam-Webster on chic

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!