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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
Kiana Murden, Vogue, 2 Mar. 2026
But this Gophers men’s basketball team also has exhibited a flair for the dramatic.
—Dean Spiros, Twin Cities, 28 Feb. 2026
If production stills are any indication, his backdrop will provide flair for what’s actually a small collection show.
—Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 27 Feb. 2026
Moore embodied the contemporary flair of the Donna pumps with the rest of her attire.
—Karla Rodriguez, Footwear News, 27 Feb. 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 3 Mar. 2026.
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flair
noun
