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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
Rebecca Jones,
Southern Living,
27 June 2026
The most exciting player might be Michael Olise, who dribbles and passes with playground flair.
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Louisa Thomas,
New Yorker,
27 June 2026
While the Stars and Stripes can go forward at opposing goals with flair and intent, the backline has been known to give up goals.
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Kyle Feldscher,
CNN Money,
26 June 2026
This partnership seeks to infuse NASCAR with Fieri's distinctive flair and broad appeal.
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Bruce Martin,
Forbes.com,
26 June 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 2 Jul. 2026.
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flair
noun
