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.
Examples of flair in a Sentence
Anne D’innocenzio, Los Angeles Times, 6 Apr. 2026
Each Burg & Barrel location has its own flair and style, but the menu is all the same.
—Kansas City Star, 6 Apr. 2026
The tourbillon version encases an appealing tension between the 270-piece complication’s visceral architecture and Roth’s flair for aristocratic typefaces and theatrical curves.
—Adam Erace, Fortune, 4 Apr. 2026
The adorable patch pockets also give them a retro flair that’s hard to compete with.
—Alyssa Grabinski, PEOPLE, 2 Apr. 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 14 Apr. 2026.
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flair
noun
